Why harder to get pregnant after 40

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Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Getting pregnant after the age of 40 is possible without fertility treatment , but it's more likely that you will have a harder time conceiving once you reach this age. After the age of 45, becoming pregnant without the use of fertility treatments is extremely unlikely.

Research has shown that assisted reproductive technology ART is less effective after age 40, and the rate continues to fall as you get older. Still, this rate is not as good as it is for younger people. The percentage of live births per IVF cycle for women over 40 is only 5. Egg donation may offer the best chance for someone who wants to get pregnant after the age of In this process, a person can become pregnant using a donated egg often from a young, healthy donor that has been inseminated with the sperm of their partner or a donor.

While the success rates are encouraging, using an egg donor means that the person who becomes pregnant won't have a genetic connection to their child. The decision to use an egg donor can be difficult to make. Some people will consider the option and decide it's not the right choice for them. The process can also be costly.

The price tag may prevent some people from using egg donation services to become pregnant. If you are over the age of 40 and want to get pregnant, there is more to consider than conception. If you are over the age of 35, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery all have unique challenges and risks. However, the decision to use the age of 35 as the cutoff for what is considered an "older" or high-risk pregnancy originally had little to do with age. Medical professionals knew that the risk of Down syndrome increased with maternal age and began offering a new test called amniocentesis to women who became pregnant at or after the age of The age was somewhat arbitrarily chosen, and the designation of a "high-risk" pregnancy had more to do with the risks associated with amniocentesis.

By age 43, a woman's chance of pregnancy plummets to 1 or 2 percent. Why the steep drop-off? Silber says it's all about the eggs. When you reach puberty, your eggs number between , and ,, and after that you lose about 13, eggs a year.

Over the years, this steady drop in egg supply leaves you with about 25, eggs by age 37 — the age that also coincides with a precipitous drop in fertility.

Miscarriage rates begin to skyrocket in your 40s as well. At 40, the rate is 34 percent, and it rises to 53 percent by age Your risk of pregnancy complications, such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, increases after 35 and continues to rise in your 40s. The odds of genetic problems also jump as you get older: At 40, your chance of conceiving a child with Down syndrome is one in ; at 45 it's one in Because the risk of genetic problems increase with age, experts routinely recommend that women in their 40s have detailed fetal screenings such as cell-free fetal DNA blood testing , advanced ultrasound, amniocentesis , or chorionic villus sampling.

Mothers over 40 also have a nearly 50 percent chance of having a c-section as a result of delivery complications. Incidents of low-birth-weight and stillborn babies are higher as well. One very positive fact on your side: Given the range of new assisted reproductive technologies ART methods now available, there's no better time in history to try to get pregnant as an older mother.

Although in vitro fertilization IVF success rates fall significantly when women use their own eggs after age 35, the chance of success using donor eggs remains high with a pregnancy rate of about 50 percent for women through their late 40s. For women in their 40s who use eggs from a woman in her 20s or 30s, the risk of miscarriage and chromosomal problems is consistent with the age of the egg donor.

To give yourself the best chance for a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby, consider taking a few important steps before trying to conceive. Read these tips to help you prepare for pregnancy. If you're in your early 40s, your healthcare provider will likely refer you to a fertility specialist if you don't get pregnant after having frequent about two or three times a week unprotected sex for up to six months.

Others advise seeing a specialist right away — especially if there are specific reasons you may have trouble getting pregnant, such as irregular or missed periods, ovulation difficulties, or problems with your partner's sperm. Most specialists start by doing tests to determine if there's a problem with the way your ovaries function. Then they'll check for problems with your fallopian tubes or your partner's sperm.

If no such problems are found, then it's likely your infertility is from age and declining egg quality. Your physician will advise you about your options depending on your individual circumstances. For more on age and fertility, read our articles on getting pregnant in your 20s and 30s. Plus, check out the preconception and birth stories of six women in their 20s , 30s , and 40s.

Understand how age affects eggs and fertility. Know the risks of having a baby after age Explore your options for fertility treatment. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing.

Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. This workup may include a variety of tests, including an X-ray with dye or hysterosalpingography to confirm that your fallopian tubes through which an egg travels from the ovaries to the uterus are open. In some cases, imaging tests can also give your doctor a better idea of the health of your reproductive organs. Based on the results of these tests, your doctor will develop a plan to help you achieve pregnancy, Watts says.

Medications, or fertility drugs, may be used to help stimulate ovulation. If you chose to freeze your eggs, IVF is the technique that will be used to help you become pregnant. All pregnant women should receive good prenatal care. In fact, depending on your age, other health issues and medical history, you may need to undergo additional tests and have more frequent checkups throughout your pregnancy. During each visit, your health and the health of your baby will be assessed.

Your doctor may recommend screening tests to make sure that your baby is developing properly. This includes a blood test in the first trimester plus an ultrasound of the fetus to assess risk for specific chromosomal abnormalities.

This test, which is typically performed between the 11th and 13th week of pregnancy, could indicate the need for further testing. Other diagnostic tests such as amniocentesis, which tests amniotic fluid, or chorionic villus sampling CVS , which tests tissue from the placenta, can provide more definitive results.

These tests do confer a higher risk of miscarriage, which is already higher in women older than If you are expecting later in life, you can improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy by establishing a game plan early on. That means getting regular prenatal care, adopting a healthy lifestyle—including stress reduction, regular physical activity, a nutritious diet, and adequate sleep—and having open communication with your healthcare team.

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