Has Your Pregnancy Aged You?

“Those children are going to be the end of me,” an exhausted mother might cry out. However, that expression may have a more literal meaning than the overwhelmed parent had realized. Recent studies reveal that each pregnancy adds over two years to a woman’s biological age.

Mothers need not lose hope because there is some positive news as well.

Overview

Parents understand that raising children comes with a price. There is the financial burden of providing for them from birth through college and even into early adulthood. Then there is the emotional strain that parenting can have on the body. Lastly, there is a cost to a woman's physical health and body maintenance; at least, that is what evolutionary theory suggests. Historical research supports this notion.

A millennium of British aristocratic records up to the 19th century indicates that the more children a mother has, the shorter her postmenopausal lifespan is. Similar patterns were observed among early settlers in Québec and the South-West United States.

While this theory may have been relevant for previous generations, doubts arise regarding whether there is a trade-off between reproduction and longevity, given the advancements in health and medicine over the past century.

To verify this claim, a reliable method of assessing the aging effects of pregnancy was needed, which has now become available through the development of biological aging clocks.

Two recent studies utilizing these clocks have produced intriguing results.

Pregnancy Accelerates Biological Aging

Biological age signifies how well a person's cells, tissues, and organs are aging independent of their chronological age. We have discussed fast agers and the various assessments and clocks developed to measure biological age based on molecular changes attached to DNA over time.

The initial study using a biological aging clock was conducted by researchers at Columbia University in New York. The study involved 825 women aged 20 to 22 from the Philippines and a subgroup of these women aged 25 to 31, along with a similar number of fathers in these age ranges.

Results from six aging measures revealed that each pregnancy increased biological aging by approximately 2.4 to 2.8 months.

Women with more children were biologically older than those with fewer children, whereas fathers did not experience any aging effects from their partner's pregnancies. These outcomes remained consistent even after adjusting for factors linked to biological aging such as socioeconomic status, smoking, and genetic variations¹.

Dr. Calen Ryan, the lead researcher, stated: “Our findings indicate that pregnancy accelerates biological aging, and these effects are noticeable in young, highly fertile women. Our study is the first to track changes in each woman's pregnancy number over time and correlate them with changes in her biological age.

“Many of the recorded pregnancies during our initial assessment occurred during late adolescence when women are still growing. We anticipate that these pregnancies could be particularly challenging for a growing mother, especially if access to healthcare, resources, or other forms of support is limited.”²

The study highlights the toll that pregnancy takes on the body, but the second study uncovered some positive news... significant reversals in the opposite direction post childbirth, particularly if a woman breastfeeds her infants.

Postpartum Health: Rejuvenation After Childbirth

The Yale study involved 119 pregnant American women monitored from early to late pregnancy, around 20 weeks. Their findings aligned with the Columbia study, showing an acceleration in biological age by two years.

However, the surprise came after delivery, as senior author Kieran O’Donnell explained.

“At three months postpartum, we observed a considerable decrease in biological age, up to eight years for some individuals, indicating that while pregnancy raises biological age, there is a distinct (and significant) recovery postpartum.”³

Moreover, they found that a higher body mass index before pregnancy hindered recovery after childbirth, reducing the benefits of the age reversal effect.

Breastfeeding Speeds Up Age Reversal by Up to Eight Years!

In contrast, breastfeeding led to a steep decline. Mothers who exclusively breastfed experienced a remarkable reversal in age: New mothers appeared “younger” by as much as eight years!

Dr. O’Donnell mentioned that these findings raise several unanswered questions and offer a fresh perspective for aging research.

“Firstly, we are uncertain if the postpartum recovery effect impacts short- or long-term maternal health outcomes and whether these effects accumulate over successive pregnancies. Similarly, we are uncertain if the postpartum decrease in biological age simply signifies a return to the pre-pregnancy biological age or, more intriguingly, if pregnancy might have a rejuvenating effect.”

Further research in this area would be greatly welcomed. Regarding breastfeeding, breast milk is not only beneficial for infants but also contains essential nutrients that can benefit adults. We are referring to colostrum. This unique substance has been dubbed “liquid gold” due to its numerous health advantages, including:

• Enhanced Immune Support: Colostrum is rich in antibodies, particularly IgA, which defend against infections.
• Supplying Growth Factors Rich in Nutrients: Colostrum contains high levels of proteins, vitamins, and minerals crucial for infant growth and development, aiding in adult body repair as well.
• Promoting Gut Health: Colostrum stimulates the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and supports digestive health.
• Anti-inflammatory Properties: Colostrum reduces inflammation and enhances overall well-being.

Supplemental colostrum is typically derived from cows, and various products are available in powder and capsule forms for individuals of all ages.

Our Conclusion

Whether you have children or not, this information serves as a reminder of the body's capacity to recover from physical strains like pregnancy, especially when maintaining a healthy weight. Our bodies possess an incredible ability to regenerate when given the opportunity.

Therefore, let this inspire you to make prudent lifestyle choices concerning your diet, supplementation, and exercise routines. Additionally, if you or someone you know is planning to start a family, this research provides another reason to advocate for breastfeeding whenever feasible to enjoy the remarkable anti-aging benefits.