Pregnancy for women 35 and older in the second trimester. “Hell’s Kitchen” star Gordon Ramsey and his 41 year old wife recently experienced a devastating loss. Mrs. Ramsey lost her baby in the second trimester of pregnancy.
Ten to twenty percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Most miscarriages occur in the first few weeks after fertilization. A small number (2-3%) of miscarriages occur in the second trimester. The second trimester is the 13th-27th weeks of the gestational period. Due to the smaller likelihood of miscarrying after the first trimester, many mothers-to-be wait until the second trimester to announce that they are expecting.
Doctors indicated that after the 20th week of gestation a loss of the fetus is classified as a stillbirth. With more and more women waiting to become mothers, age is a common risk factor for miscarriages and stillbirths.
After age 40 the risk of miscarrying is 29 percent. At the age of 35 or younger, the age of miscarrying or stillbirth is 15 percent.
Other causes of loss of pregnancy in the second trimester include fibroids and other physical problems, fetal abnormalities, uterine infection, and previous cervical surgery.
Don’t let any of these be a deterrent. According to babymed.com women who miscarry or have stillbirths in the second trimester can go on to deliver full term healthy babies. However, subsequent pregnancies would be considered high risk.
To read more about the story in support of this post, click HERE. In addition, to find more helpful information regarding pregnancy at 35 and older, visit this link to the Mayo Clinic.
