over 40 Archives - Mum's the Word

Infertility after 40 is becoming a common concern as more women choose to start their families later in life. Simply put, the older a woman gets, the harder it is for her to conceive with her own eggs. This is a scientific fact based on the significant decline of viable eggs produced by a woman as time passes. For women approaching their 40^th birthday – or are already in their 40s – knowing their pregnancy risks, statistics, and possible solutions to conceiving after 40 can help them make the best choice for their family.

Valuable Statistics to Know

What are the odds of women conceiving after 40? According to the CDC, 30% of women in their 40s will experience infertility. Keep in mind that age may be one of many contributing factors to infertility. A study published in Fertility and Sterility showed women in their early 40s had a 25% chance of conceiving using their own eggs, but by age 44 that chance dropped to only 1.6%.

However, there is still hope for these women; they can increase their odds of getting pregnant by seeking fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), traditional IVF, or donor egg IVF. Some such fertility treatments are available at Fertility Plus

Risks of Getting Pregnant in 40s

While a successful natural pregnancy is possible over 40, there are still significant risks to consider. After age 35, women have a higher risk of the following:

High blood pressure
Premature labor and birth
Gestational diabetes
Preeclampsia
Miscarriage
Low birth weight
Placental problems
Birth complications

It’s impossible to know how your body will react, but thanks to scientific advances in fertility treatment, many of these risks can be decreased using assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Treatment Options

Women experiencing infertility after 40 have a few options to consider. They can try stimulating their own ovulation with fertility drugs or seek intrauterine insemination, a process in which a woman is inseminated with healthy sperm just as she is scheduled to release an egg. While both treatments can help increase the odds of conception, the best option with the highest chance of pregnancy for women over 40 – a whopping 39% – is in vitro fertilization (IVF) using donor eggs.

IVF and Donor Eggs

In vitro fertilization uses ART techniques to implant a fertilized egg into the mother’s uterus. As discussed, using one’s own egg becomes difficult after 40. Given this difficulty, families often opt to use donor eggs from a younger, healthier woman. By using donor egg IVF, the mother still experiences the miracle of childbirth with significantly less risk of miscarriage. Frozen donor egg banks provide a nationwide database of egg donors to choose from, or mothers-to-be can choose fresh egg donation from a family member, close friend, or select from a small regional pool of available donors. Frozen eggs are the better option for many families because the donor has already been screened, knows her legal rights, and may have had previous successful conceptions (either through her own children or children resulting from prior donations). Furthermore, the IVF process with frozen eggs is quicker than fresh eggs, as syncing the menstrual cycles of the donor and mother is necessary when using fresh eggs.

Steps Leading to Donor Egg IVF

Before committing to donor egg IVF, couples should seek counseling to prepare themselves for the emotions involved. While this treatment is a source of hope, it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. Aside from therapeutic counseling, couples should also seek legal counsel to establish rights between all parties when using fresh eggs.

The Bottom Line

Pregnancy already comes with a degree of risk and possibility of failure, whether aged 25 or 43. If a woman is struggling to conceive, she should ask her doctor about possible treatment options.

If you’re thinking about being pregnant after 40, there are some precautions that you have to take under consideration. For example, you need to see if you are still fertile, if not there are many avenues you can go down like IVF from Fertility Plus.

If you’re in your 40s and single again, you may be wondering whether or not you have made the right choices in life. Perhaps you did, perhaps you didn’t, but let’s face it: the past is something that cannot be changed. So, there’s no point regretting over what has been done, and better to focus on moving ahead in your life.

You can still find the right person for yourself, joining online dating site Maturedatinguk.com and while it can be hard for you, once you find ‘the one’ it’s likely that you will stay in that relationship for the rest of your life. Now, isn’t that something good to look forward to? Indeed it is! Below we have discussed some effective tips that will help you date in your 40s:

Be Happy With Yourself

You can hit the gym, shed some pounds and buy new clothes to create a new and different you, but is it really worth it? Don’t get us wrong here, being healthy and looking good can definitely separate you from the crowd. However, there really isn’t any point of doing so if you don’t stick to it. If you believe you can’t, you’re much better off sticking to what you already know and being happy with it. Once you’re able to embrace who you really are, you’ll be able to gather the confidence required to succeed in today’s dating scene.

Accept The Chemistry

If you’ve ever met someone and felt that instant attraction, you might be asking “what are pheromones?”. They might not be what you thought was your “usual type” but sometimes that’s for the best. If the attraction is there, see where it goes, even if you’re stepping out of your comfort zone.

Leave Your Baggage at the Door

If you still live in the past, nobody would like to start a relationship with you. While you might share some similar experiences (such as health issues or a failed marriage) if you are looking for someone your age, bonding on negative issues won’t get you anywhere. In much the same way, you should also leave behind the anger you have for your ex. Assuming that the person you’re dating has hidden motives will only result in another relationship wreck. Relationships thrive on trust, so trust yourself and the person you’re dating.

Know What You’re Looking For

You’re in your 40s now, so forget about what you used to think about when you were in your 20s, and be a bit more realistic. Everyone wants their perfect match (who doesn’t?), but guess what? Most of them are still looking. If you really want a meaningful and lasting relationship, it’s about time you get rid of your list of ‘must-haves’ and replace it with some consideration of how a potential partner will make you feel and treat you.

Take it Slow

Lastly, you should take things slow. There’s no need to jump into a new relationship immediately after you have gone through a failed one. You’re looking for the right person, not the right now person to give you something you cannot provide yourself: companionship. Therefore, make sure you don’t rush into a relationship if you believe there was no honesty, sincerity and not to mention chemistry in the first dates.

Tag: over 40

Getting Pregnant After 40: Risks, Statistics, and Solutions