It's not only celebrities like Madonna and Annette Bening who are doing it: This year 1 of every 12 babies will be born to women 35 or older. Despite some risks, the outcome for these mothers and babies is good.

So What Are the Risks?

Maternal complications:

The chance of developing high blood pressure is almost double that of younger moms. Gestational diabetes is also two to three times more common. But both conditions are controllable with diet, monitoring, and, for some, medication.

Genetic abnormalities:

The good news: Even at age 40, expectant women have a 98.5 percent chance of delivering a healthy baby. Though your risk of giving birth to an infant with chromosomal abnormalities increases with age, prenatal screening tests, like amniocentesis, have become more accurate in the last few years.

Complications during labor and delivery:

Cesarean and forceps or vacuum-assisted deliveries are more common  --probably because doctors tend to make assumptions based on a woman's age rather than her pregnancy history.

Chances are, the only side effect you'll notice is that you'll tire more quickly. And the best advice holds doubly true: Eat a nutritious diet, stay active, and rest when you need to. Healthy women, regardless of their age, always have better pregnancies.