Age produces complications and risks

Liang Haiyan says she has noticed that an increasing number of older pregnant women, 35 or older, are coming to the hospital where she works as a doctor since the universal second-child policy came into force.

"Those who are in their 40s are most eager to have a second child, and you can feel how anxious they are when they come for checkups before pregnancy," says Liang, associate chief physician in the gynecology and obstetrics department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing.

"They are under great pressure because they know it's not easy to conceive a child at this age. It's challenging for the doctors as there are more difficult and complicated cases."

Liang, 41, is herself four months pregnant with her second child.

The optimum time to give birth is between the ages of 25 and 29, she says. Those over 35 have a higher chance of having gynecological diseases and needing assisted reproductive technology. Older pregnant women may even have some rare complications.

Mothers with a uterine scar from earlier caesarean section have a higher chance of developing risky complications when they are conceiving a second child, she says.

Sometimes they may have a uterine rupture that could necessitate a uterine removal or even be life-threatening.

The oldest woman to give birth to a second child in the hospital recently was 50. She had twins last month and had her uterus removed after the delivery.

"Nowadays, young women in labor are more willing to have a normal childbirth rather than volunteer for a caesarean section because they know about the risk a caesarean poses for having a second child," Liang says.

She adds that many would choose a caesarean section in the past because they wouldn't consider having a second child due to the family planning policy.

She suggests pregnant women have regular obstetric examinations, communicate regularly with their doctor and follow instructions.

"Just take it easy. The sooner you find any potential problems, the easier it is to solve them, with the help of doctors. If doctors say you cannot give birth to a child because of your physical condition, you need to take responsibility for yourself and give up on the idea."

It is important for a pregnant woman to maintain a balanced diet, have regular checks on blood pressure and blood sugar, and keep in a good mood, she says.

After being pregnant for three months, one can start to do exercise such as jogging and swimming to reduce the risk of complications.