The number of women having their first babies after thirty has been rising. Some earlier studies seemed to show that as women grow older, they run a greater risk of developing three problems: miscarriage, premature birth, and having a low-birth-weight baby.But later research suggests that the risks of delay-ing pregnancy until late in the reproductive years (after thirty-five) are not related to age at all but to pre-existing disorders such as high blood pressure

or diabetes that may worsen with age.
  
However, the risk of miscarriage and of congenital abnormalities increases with age, and rises very dramatically after age thirty-five, while fertility declines. if you are a healthy woman attempt-ing a first pregnancy at age thirty-five or older, you should be reassured as to the likelihood of having a healthy baby, provided that you take the following precautions:
 

• Avoid using oral contraceptives in your thirties. These may delay conception even after they are discontinued.

• Avoid cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy, since both of these increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking can also adversely affect the baby's birth weight.

• Undergo amniocentesis and other procedures in order to determine whether there are genetic abnormalities in the fetus.

• If pregnancy does not occur readily, seek professional advice early. If either partner needs treatment for infertility, the sooner it is begun the better.