What you need to know when trying to conceive as an elderly woman



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Dear doctor,

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I am in my forties and I have been trying to conceive for over a year. Is it possible to help me?

Meredith

Dear Meredith,

The chance of spontaneous conception decreases with age, and even more so from the mid-thirties. It is estimated that women over 40 have only a 5% chance of conceiving at each cycle. This contrasts sharply with women in their late twenties and early thirties, whose chances of conceiving are 4 to 5 times higher. By the time you turn 45, the chances of conceiving with your own eggs are almost nil. It does not stop there. You are also more likely to have a miscarriage. And complications related to pregnancy also occur more frequently.

Despite the statistics, your motivation to conceive should not be mitigated by anyone. It may be a good time to start a family. You may have already defined many of your life goals, including your education and career. Your current financial stability may be in favor of proper care of a family. You may also be able to focus entirely on your child's educational tasks.

However, you must accept the fact that you may need more time to conceive, or even not to design at all. You should immediately consult a fertility specialist and obtain a complete badessment of the reproduction. Your male partner should come and also be evaluated. The most important factor will be your ovarian dominant function. It is likely that the number of your eggs will be greatly reduced and their quality will be worse. It is a biological phenomenon that occurs with age and can not be reversed.

Your fertility specialist will advise you on the best options to help you conceive. Simple and even more advanced fertility treatments can be offered. However, even the most advanced fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), can not compensate for the low number and quality of eggs. Your success rate will be dark, and you may need several treatment cycles to conceive. Unfortunately, most women in their forties, using their own eggs, will never get pregnant, even after several cycles of fertility treatment.

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It is always possible to use donated eggs. This requires some thought and is obviously not an easy choice for everyone. The chances of getting pregnant with donated eggs are much higher, but should also involve IVF. If the thought had invaded you when you were much younger, you could have frozen your eggs for future use. The youngest, with a predictable potential to delay maternity until the end of their years, might consider this option.

It remains possible that you can still conceive. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and be open to the realistic advice of your fertility specialist.

Dr. Alfred Murage is a consultant in gynecology and fertility specialist; [email protected]

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