Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting a royal baby, but the Duchess of Sussex faces more risks than some women. Doctors consider anyone carrying children after age 35 to be having a “geriatric pregnancy.” At 37, the Duchess of Sussex and her royal baby face could face some challenges.

Gestational Diabetes — According to MayoClinic, women over 35 are more likely to become diabetic during their pregnancy. The condition only lasts the duration of the pregnancy and while it can be managed, it does increase the risk of high blood pressure and complications.

High Blood Pressure — Even without gestational diabetes, older mothers like Meghan Markle are more likely to deal with this.

Chromosomal Abnormalities — Unfortunately, the risk for Down syndrome and other health issues increases for children whose mothers gave birth to them after age 35. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that while the risk of a baby being born with Down syndrome is just 1 in 940 at age 30, it becomes 1 in 353 at age 35 and then 1 in 85 at age 40.

Meghan Markle Pregnancy update
Meghan Markle's age means there are more risks she could face in pregnancy. From left: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern are pictured on Oct. 30, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. Dean Purcell - Pool/Getty Images

Loss — There are higher chances for stillbirth and miscarriage, unfortunately.

Premature Birth — Geriatric pregnancies like the Duchess of Sussex’s more often result in premature births, which can result in a number of complications.

Multiples Pregnancy — It’s not all bad news. Meghan could end up having twins or triplets. Ovaries are more likely to release more than one egg at a time as they age. Believe it or not, this actually lends support to Princess Diana’s former psychic believing that the Duchess of Sussex is carrying twins.

While Meghan could face any of these risks, it is important to note that she also could have a very healthy pregnancy. The Duchess of Sussex has the best prenatal care team available to her, and she is known for being very healthy in general.

Kensington Palace has not released any information about difficulties Prince Harry’s wife might be facing, and so far, she has only been reported as saying that being pregnant makes her tired. With any luck, she’ll continue to have an easy pregnancy.

She is rumored to even want a home birth.

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