What effects does aging have on pregnancy and fertility?
There is a growing trend of people delaying childbearing till their late 30s or early 40s. But as you age, so do your ovaries and the eggs they hold. You can not see or feel these changes, and they happen faster than you might think.
A woman’s most fertile years typically span from her late teens through her late 20s. By the age of thirty, fertility, or the ability to conceive, starts to decline. After you reach your mid-30s, you begin to deteriorate more rapidly. By the age of 45, fertility has declined to the point where natural conception is rare.
What occurs in an infertility treatment and when can I consider one?
Consult your obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn) about an infertility examination if you are over 35 and have not been pregnant after six months of regular intercourse without the use of birth control. Before attempting to conceive if you are over 40, an examination is advised. This advice is particularly crucial if you have endometriosis or any other condition that may impair your ability to conceive.
You undergo physical examinations and tests as part of an evaluation to try to determine the cause of your infertility. It could be possible to treat it if a cause is identified. Even if the cause of infertility cannot be identified, it can often be successfully addressed. However, as people age, their chances of success in these treatments decrease.
Pregnancy risks after the age of 35
After the age of 35 and beyond, many women are still capable of becoming pregnant. But as mothers age, there are some dangers that tend to rise for both the mother and the child.
- Infertility: It may take longer to become pregnant as you grow closer to menopause. Why? When you are born, your body has a specific amount of eggs. Over time, the amount keeps going down. The quality of your eggs may also deteriorate with age, making it more challenging to implant or fertilize them.
- Miscarriage: The risk of miscarriage is increased by a lower-quality egg. Pregnancy loss may also be more likely if you have a medical condition like diabetes or high blood pressure. Because stillbirth is another possibility, it is essential to continue prenatal examinations in order to detect issues early.
- Chromosome issues: Furthermore, older women could be more exposed to chromosomal issues. For example, the odds of a 20-year-old woman becoming pregnant with a child who has Down syndrome are approximately 1 in 1,480. When you’re 40 this risk increases.
- Hormonal changes: (you may release more than one egg each cycle) and the use of ART, such as IVF, are the reasons why twins or higher order multiples are more common after the age of 35.
- Diabetes throughout pregnancy: When diabetes develops during pregnancy, the fetus may grow larger than expected. Babies who are too big run the risk of being hurt at birth. Furthermore, gestational diabetes may cause high blood pressure in the mother and an early birth or other issues in the unborn child.
- Elevated blood pressure: Over 40 is also associated with an increased risk of developing preeclampsia or gestational hypertension during pregnancy.
- Low weight at birth: Your baby may be born early and with low birth weight due to various maternal problems, which can result in further issues.
- Delivery by cesarean section: Pregnancy difficulties raise the chance of a cesarean section as opposed to a vaginal birth. The prevalence of cesarean deliveries actually rises with age, rising from 26% at age 20 to 40% at age 35 to 48% at age 40.
Additional strategies to expand your family
Talk openly with your doctor if you think you have begun this trip too late. Make a visit before conception. Regardless of your age, be aware of the risks and your chances of becoming pregnant.
In any case, you might still look at various options for expanding your family despite your advanced age. Other choices include:
- IVF using eggs from donors: This method uses hormones to prepare your body for pregnancy. An embryo transfer is performed utilizing donor eggs that have been fertilized with either donor sperm or your partner's sperm, as opposed to a conventional egg retrieval to subsequently fertilize and transfer.
- Surrogacy: Another option is to have your child through a surrogate mother. Selecting a surrogate, determining how to become pregnant (IVF using your egg, a donor egg, your partner's sperm, donor sperm, etc.), and then going through the legal procedures to obtain full custody once the baby is born are all part of this process.
- Freezing eggs: You might think about freezing your eggs now if you have decided in advance that you want to wait to have a child and you are still under 35. Your chances of having a healthy child depend on your age at the time of egg freezing, not your present biological age.
- Adoption of embryos: Embryo adoption is an additional possibility, regardless of whether you decide to employ a surrogate or undergo IVF yourself. Typically, couples who are not using embryos in their own ART treatments freeze and donate them.
- Adoption: Numerous children are also looking for homes through private domestic adoption, overseas adoption, or the foster care system. From newborns to teenagers, children come in a variety of ages.
The conclusion
Age does have an impact on fertility, but it is not a clear-cut subject. Recognize the dangers, but also keep in mind that every woman and marriage is different. Pregnancy issues and infertility can occur at any age.
Conversely, even at a later age, a successful pregnancy and delivery are achievable. If you want to expand your family, you have a number of alternative options to consider, even if you think you have waited too long.
