Moms Enjoy Long-term Health Benefits Following a Healthy Pregnancy
5/11/2022
Beyond the many joys delivering a child can bring, a healthy pregnancy can also bring long-term benefits to mom’s health. A woman’s body undergoes significant transformations during pregnancy and some of those ultimately become protections over time.
Benefits following a healthy delivery include a reduction in risks for cancers of the reproductive system, including ovarian and uterine cancers. Hormonal balance changes during pregnancy, shifting toward more progesterone to oppose estrogen levels. The reduced levels of estrogen mean that women who have delivered a child have a lower risk of developing endometrial cancer compared to women who have not.
“Mom’s health is important, but is critical during pregnancy, delivery and after to support her long-term health,” said Penny Knight, MD. “If there are any issues, we want to identify and address timely to support delivery of a healthy baby and set up mom’s future health.”
If a woman’s first pregnancy happens before the age of 30, her risk of developing breast cancer after menopause decreases. Women who have children before the age of 20 also have a lower lifetime risk of breast cancer. Mothers with five full-term pregnancies are about 50% less likely to develop breast cancer than women who have not delivered a child.
Breastfeeding can also lower breast cancer risk and decrease the risk of ovarian cancer. Women who breastfeed are also less likely to develop heart disease or die from cardiovascular disease than women who do not breastfeed. Breastfeeding at least one child may also reduce the risk for stroke in post-menopausal women. Having a baby, particularly more than one pregnancy, and breastfeeding for 15 months or longer also cuts the risk of developing multiple sclerosis and reduces the risk of autoimmune disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Women who breastfed also performed better on cognitive tests after age 50 compared to women who did not breastfeed.
Dr. Knight points out that numerous factors influence each person’s risk for any medical condition, including age, family history and lifestyle choices and these likely have more impact on a woman’s long-term health than her delivery history.
“While women who have never delivered a child have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer, ovarian and endometrial cancers, there are options,” said Dr. Knight. “Maintaining an established relationship with a provider is critical so that they can review your medical history and recommend protective actions to reduce your risk.”
Maintaining a relationship with a primary care physician, working closely with your OB/GYN before, during and after pregnancy and keeping up with regular screenings for breast and other cancers are the best ways to support your overall health. For help finding a physician, visit tennovamedicalgroup.com or call 1-855-TENNOVA.
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