Getting pregnant at 40: the point about female fertility over 40
The life of women today is not the same as it was 30 years ago.
The time dedicated to studies is getting longer and the desire to achieve professionalism often pushes us to postpone the first pregnancy until after 35 years. And, above all, it is often only after that "age that the economic stability necessary to" start a family "is reached. In short, it is after 35 that we begin to feel more mature and ready to have a child.
The data confirm this: by now, late pregnancies (after 35 or 40 years) are no longer a rarity. But if the frequency of these pregnancies increases, it is not to be taken lightly: above all because, after the age of 35, the biological clock begins to ring and fertility after the age of 40 undergoes a sharp decline ...
Getting pregnant at 40: what are the odds?
Towards the age of 40, the chance of becoming pregnant drops significantly below 10%, which means that the average time to conceive a child becomes about a year, if not more. The possibility of having a child is of the 25% per menstrual cycle at 25, drops to 12% at 35, and 6% after 40! In fact, although apparently, the cycle continues to be normal at this age, the number of ovulations decreases and the probability of ovulation increases. imperfect oocytes, destined to undergo spontaneous abortions (especially early).
Smokers are less likely to get pregnant because tobacco causes a decline in fertility, as well as accelerating the onset of menopause.
If you are approaching 40 and want to have a child, don't wait to take stock of your fertility! Face reality and find out immediately if you can make your dream come true!
See also
Getting pregnant late: how to do it?
> Talk to your gynecologist
Have you been trying for a few months, but still can't get pregnant? Well, it's time to talk to your gynecologist.If he has been following you for years, he will know your gynecological "history": if you have had any pathologies, if you have taken the pill, if you have made hormonal balances ... With him, therefore, you can talk openly about your maternity project .
> Make a hormonal dosage to take stock of fertility
After the age of 40, motherhood needs to be followed closely. If within 6 months you have still not managed to get pregnant, your gynecologist will advise you to consult a fertility specialist in order not to waste precious time. You will be prescribed a series of tests and tests aimed at measuring your ovulatory capacity and the number of follicles in your ovaries. Your partner will be asked to perform a spermiogram to assess her fertility. Is the balance sheet satisfactory? If so, your doctor will prompt you to keep trying to get pregnant for a few more months. If the balance is poor, however, he will show you the methods to remedy the decline in fertility (ovarian stimulation, insemination, etc.).
Evaluate the key factors
Possible complications for mom ...
> Tiredness and venous problems: typical of pregnancy, they have worsened with age. Their frequency increases after 38-39 years.
> Spontaneous miscarriages: the risk increases after the age of 35. If, in future 30-year-old mothers, spontaneous abortion occurs in 12% of cases, this percentage reaches 34% when over 40. And this is because the oocytes have chromosomal abnormalities.
> Hypertension: it is twice more frequent at 35 than at 20. A balanced diet makes it possible to limit the risk of pregnancy hypertension.
> Gestational diabetes: the risk of this pathology increases after the age of 35. As with "hypertension," proper nutrition is the key to preventing this disease.
> Premature birth: like smoking, getting pregnant before the age of 18 or after 35 increases the chance of giving birth prematurely. One thing is certain, after the age of 35, and above all after the age of 40, doctors advise not to overdo it during pregnancy.
> Caesarean section: finally, after the age of 40 there are more probabilities of having to resort to a caesarean section.
... and for the baby
Most mothers over 40 know this: with age, the risk of having a child with a chromosomal abnormality also increases.
Among these, the Down syndrome, whose frequency goes from 1 in 1000 to 30 years to 1 in 100 at 40 years. In case of late pregnancy, amniocentesis is advised or even recommended. Carried out in the first trimester of pregnancy, through the collection of amniotic fluid, it is aimed at finding out with certainty if the baby will have chromosomal abnormalities.
