
A woman’s best reproductive years are in her 20s. Fertility gradually declines in the 30s, particularly after age 35. Yet, the number of women trying to get pregnant in their forties is rapidly rising. Whether due to personal choice or life circumstances, the reality is that it is harder to get pregnant as age increases. There are fewer eggs remaining in the ovaries and the quality of those eggs decline with time, leading to infertility. By age 40, a woman’s chance of pregnancy is less than 5% per cycle. Even when pregnancy occurs, women at age 40 have a 50% chance of miscarriage. At age 45, the rate of miscarriage is greater than 80%, usually due to chromosomal abnormalities.
So, how come celebrities have babies in their 40’s and 50’s? Many of them use assisted reproduction techniques like IVF to overcome infertility. Many also use donor eggs from younger women to increase their chances of getting pregnant. Does it mean IVF is the only option once a woman turns 40? Not at all. Normal, healthy pregnancies do occur after the age of 40. Here are a few things to improve your chances of success:
As a woman’s age increases, so does infertility. Even with IVF, it is still harder to get pregnant as women get older. Seek infertility help early. Let’s start with a consultation with your gynecologist.