Advanced Age and Pregnancy in Forties & Fifties
More and more women are choosing to put off family building, whether it’s to focus on career, education, caring for an elder, they aren’t ready with their current partner…the list goes on. And if you didn’t freeze your eggs by the time you were 30 or 35, infertility treatments or OPK’s (ovulation predictor kits) might familiar. Both women and men who are trying to get pregnant after the age of 35 may take a while to conceive, and might be suffering from a diagnosis called “advanced maternal age”, “diminished ovarian reserve” or “premature ovarian failure. Regardless of a diagnosis, fertility treatments, both natural and allopathic, can help.
Tracy Kahn, age 51, just underwent donor IVF and is now happily pregnant with her second child. After having her first child Scarlett, age 2, also conceived through donor egg, she felt her family was incomplete. This is where fertility assistance can really be helpful. After several natural attempts, she knew it was time to pursue different options. Using a donor egg increases older women’s chances of getting pregnant, from 4.9% to 49.0% – this is what helped Kahn to get pregnant again.
While pregnancy in one’s 40’s or 50’s is rare, it is no longer unique. More and more women are putting off child bearing to get an education and work on their career, or there may be other variables. This creates little room for being pregnant, breastfeeding and raising a family. Once women are stable and have the means to support a child, they may be older and find they do not get pregnant as easily. This is where IVF and donor egg can help.
Fertility treatments have vastly improved over the past few years, which are allowing older women to conceive and have healthy children into their 50’s. And although there are distinct health requirements, more and more women are pursuing the route of IVF with donor egg. If one takes care of themself, and stays fit and healthy, the odds go up even more. Some women feel that waiting has helped them to be better parents, both financially as a provider, and emotionally, as they are better equipped to handle all of the challenges parenthood has to offer. Each person has to do what’s right for them and their family.
Today women have more options than ever to create the family they want. If you have any questions about infertility, diagnosis, treatments or anything fertility related, don’t hesitate to contact our patient coordinator. At Santa Monica Fertility we are always happy to answer your questions on your path to parenthood.
