Your hormones and fertility levels start to decline beyond the age of 35, giving you a slim chance of becoming pregnant the longer you wait. You have probably read the statistics. However, the biological clock, which is specific to every woman, is not taken into account in those numbers.
You may have made this decision for a variety of reasons, and you shouldn’t ever feel compelled to start a family before you are ready. Although it is true that after the age of 35, your fertility levels begin to decline, it is still possible to conceive later in life, even after the age of 40. If you still ovulate frequently, your ovarian function and general health will be the key determinants of your ability.
Are there really benefits to waiting until your 40s? The answer is yes and no. There are advantages to waiting until you are older to have children, including being more financially secure and established. You are less likely to lose patience quickly than younger mothers may. Also, you have been familiarising yourself with other children and reading books to get ready. Overall, you are better equipped to make parenting decisions than you would have been in your early 20s.
By the time you are 40, you would have had plenty of time to organise your finances. Even if things aren’t exactly how you would like them to be, you probably have greater financial security than your younger competitors who are already providing for families. Given that older women are more likely to have completed their education and begun their careers, you are probably making a higher wage, which can help you better handle the cost associated with having a kid.
Although each biological clock is unique, it is more challenging to get pregnant after the age of 40 because your egg supply declines with aging. In reality, most of your eggs are chromosomally absorbed by the time you are 40, making it harder and more difficult to conceive naturally.
Pregnancy after the age of 35 is more challenging, but you do have options. Despite being everyone’s first preference, traditional pregnancy isn’t always attainable. Women over 40 only have a 10 to 15 per cent chance of becoming pregnant in a given month. If you have been trying without success, think about requesting a fertility test from your doctor.
Your cycle may start to shorten and the timing of your monthly ovulation may shift, as menopause typically starts between the ages of 40 and 50. Ovulation, which can happen as early as day nine for women approaching menopause, should generally be experienced every other day around this time. An increase in the volume of clear cervical mucus is a sign that you are ovulating.
You can freeze your eggs at a younger age and use them later on when you are ready to have kids. IVF is frequently suggested for older women who have attempted to get pregnant for more than a year without success. During this procedure, the doctor fertilises your eggs in a lab and then implants several of them in your uterus. Following IVF, it is possible that all of the implanted embryos will fail in some circumstances.
On the other side, roughly 20 per cent of IVF instances result in multiple births.
Donation of eggs: If you don’t create enough healthy eggs on your own, you may not be a candidate for IVF or traditional conception because your egg production declines with age. Egg donation in these circumstances, in which fertilised donor eggs are implanted in your uterus, has shown a high success rate.
Compare this with a surrogate; it’s not always true to follow the statistics. Even if they do suggest that you shouldn’t wait to start a family. When you are prepared to discuss conception, schedule a visit with your doctor. Every woman is different, and so should her plan for getting pregnant after turning 40.
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