Have you just turned 40 and are wondering what are the chances of getting pregnant at 40? Most do. Doctors have always warned women to get children before hitting 35.
Women are not like men. They are born with a certain amount of eggs, and by the age of 35 the eggs left may have genetic problems.
Egg quality is one of the most important factors in a healthy pregnancy. If the egg and sperm are not healthy, the pregnancy may not occur or may end in a miscarriage.
If you are interested in finding out what are your chances of conceiving at 40, keep reading.
In this post, I will discuss the following.
- Are you too old to have a baby at 40?
- What are the chances of getting pregnant at 40?
- Why do chances of getting pregnant at 40 decrease?
- Pregnancy after 40
- Miscarriage Risk after 40
- When to Talk to Your Doctor
- How to Get Pregnant after 40?
Disclaimer:
This is not medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. This post may also contain affiliate links. If you purchase something, I may earn a small commission.
Are you too old to have a baby at 40?
Most doctors recommend thinking about having a baby before the age of 35. At the age of 35, the chance of getting pregnant begins to decrease very quickly.
It is still possible to get pregnant at 40, but you would most likely need some help from a doctor. Unfortunately, medical help does not always work, and you may have to look at other options like adoption.
The good thing is that women still can have healthy pregnancies after the age of 40. So, it is never too late to just try.
What are the chances of getting pregnant at 40?
The chance of getting pregnant at 40 is very low, about 5 % each cycle to be exact. At the age of 30, women have a 20 percent of conceiving during each cycle. That is a huge drop in the success rate.
If you are older than 35 and have been trying to conceive for over 6 months of unprotected sex, do not waste more time. See a doctor for help.
Today, there are so many fertility treatments and options to have a baby including IVF, IUI, Sperm and Egg donor, surrogacy and adoption.
Why do chances of getting pregnant at 40 decrease?
Chances of getting pregnant at 40 decrease because of ovarian reserve and egg quality. Every women is born with a certain number of eggs. With age, the number of eggs decreases and the quality goes down,.
Poor quality eggs have a higher chance of having chromosomal abnormalities. This would decrease the chance of fertilization. If fertilization does happen, the chance of miscarriage is high and risk of genetic problems like down syndrome is high.
This decline in egg health starts 15 years before menopause. Menopause usually happens at 50.
Fertility Treatments After 40
Unfortunately, at 40, the chance of a success pregnancy from fertility treatments decreases dramatically. There are three options for fertility treatments after 40, but the probability of them working is very low. Here are the three fertility treatments.
What are the chances of getting pregnant at 40 with IUI?
IUI is also known as intrauterine insemination. A doctor will insert semen near your fallopian tubes to give them a fighting chance of fertilizing the egg. However, at the age of 40, the success rate is very low.
What are the chances of getting pregnant at 40 with IVF?
With IVF, women in their 40s have a higher chance than IUI to get pregnant. However, it is still low.
Egg Donor
Using a donated egg is the best option because your own egg may be not suitable for pregnancy at the age of 40. IVF with egg donation give women in their 40s the highest chance of success.
However, this does cost a lot of money and many women are not okay with this option. Do whatever you feel comfortable with.
Pregnancy After 40
Pregnancy after the age of 40 comes with a lot of complications. Firstly, the chance of becoming pregnant at 40 is very low.
However, if you do become pregnant, the pregnancy would be much more complicated. The risk of down syndrome increases dramatically with age. You are more likely to have a c-section, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, premature labor, and high blood pressure during pregnancy at 40.
If you or your partner are 40 or older, your baby is at higher risk of having genetic problems.
Miscarriage Risk After 40
The risk of miscarriage at 40 years old is very high (40%). It increases to 70% at the age of 45. The risk of miscarriage increases with age because of egg quality.
You need to have a healthy egg and sperm to produce a health baby. The risk of miscarriage decreases if you use a donor egg.
When to Talk to Your Doctor
Usually, doctors recommend waiting a year of having unprotected sex before seeing a doctor for infertility. However, if you are 40 or older, doctors recommend you see a fertility specialist right away.
The chance of getting pregnant is very low after 40 because of diminished fertility. You would most likely need fertility treatments. It is possible to get pregnant naturally, but if you want to save some time just go to a doctor.
They can check your AMH levels which will tell you how much eggs you have left. Even if you do have a good amount of left, they may be low quality.
How to get pregnant over 40: Natural Supplements that Can Help
Your best chance of getting pregnant naturally at the age of 40 is by taking fertilaid for women. These are supplements that help improve female fertility.
However, the chance of getting pregnant at 40 naturally is still very low. Since some people prefer natural ways to solve problems, your best bet is to try to improve egg quality.
Some supplements that improve egg quality are CoQ12 and Inositol.
You could also change some lifestyle habits like quit smoking and drinking alcohol. Eating a healthy diet and exercising can improve your fertility health too.
In Conclusion “What are the chances of getting pregnant at 40?”
The chances of conceiving naturally at 40 is very low, and medical help does not guarantee a pregnancy. The chance of getting pregnant each month as you age continues to decrease. The rate continues to fall until you reach menopause.
Fortunately, so many women have been able to parent thanks to IVF, IUI, Surrogacy and egg donation. Whatever route you choose, it is best to conceive before the age of 35.
