Understanding The Chances And Challenges Of Getting Pregnant After 40

Updated on February 12, 2021

There is a time in every person’s life when they consider the idea of having children. For some, it’s not something they want to do. For others, it’s simply a question of timing. Of course, some women find themselves pregnant by accident and others are unable to get pregnant, no matter how hard they try. 

Fertility issues appear to be on the increase, but age can also play a role in the ability to get pregnant. The simple fact is that the older you get the less likely it is that you’ll become pregnant naturally. 

If you’re experiencing fertility issues or even getting ready to try for a baby then you need to contact a reputable obstetrician Sydney. Having the right tests and guidance can make the process much simpler.

The Statistics

Women are generally at their most fertile during their twenties. At this stage, the average woman has a 25% chance of becoming pregnant every time they try. Unfortunately, once a woman enters her thirties the chances of becoming pregnant drop. BY forty it’s as low as 5%.

Alongside this, the older you get the more likely it is that you’ll experience a miscarriage. At 40, women are 40% more likely to lose a child during pregnancy. The rate is approximately 15% in your twenties.

The bottom line is that, once you’re over 40, it’s much more difficult to get pregnant naturally and carry the baby full term.

The good news is that it’s not impossible.

Assistance

If you can’t get pregnant naturally then there are plenty of facilities to help you, even when you’re forty or older. 

You will need to have fertility tests to confirm everything is working properly. This will also allow the practice to assess your hormone levels. They can then adjust your hormone levels to balance them before gradually increasing them to prepare your body to carry a baby.

This will often be accompanied with egg retrieval and assisted conception. There are two main ways that an egg can be fertilized out of the womb. The first is to place healthy sperm next to it, the other is to inject the sperm directly into the egg. 

The eggs are then monitored to ensure the embryo starts to grow before they are put back into your womb.

Ongoing Care

Women over forty are more likely to encounter issues when pregnant. This means you may need additional care and monitoring. This is particularly important when you are getting near to your due date.

Reasons For Fertility Issues

The simple fact is that your body ages and, during the process your egg stores diminish. You are actually born with all the eggs you’ll ever carry and these gradually drop as you age, with each menstrual cycle.  

Although the quality of the eggs remains the same, you’ll have as few as 2.5% of what you started with by the time you’re forty. The lower your egg count the less likely it is you’ll be able to conceive naturally. That’s why women over 40 often need help becoming pregnant.

But, there are plenty of women who do have babies past forty. That proves it’s possible.

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