It’s natural to want to have a child. It’s also common in this double-career family, fast-paced society to push off having children until you’re more established in your mid- to late 30s.
The problem is, women have a window of opportunity for bearing a child, and 35 starts to push the upper limit. That can lead to difficulty getting pregnant, difficulty carrying the baby to term, and a higher risk of genetic anomalies.
At the OB/GYN office of Dr. Hany H Ahmed in Houston, Texas, Dr. Ahmed and his team diagnose and treat women with infertility and age-related complications with pregnancy. If you’re over 35 and want to get pregnant, check out these fertility-boosting tips from our team.
Geriatric pregnancy is an old term for getting pregnant when you’re 35 or older. Today, doctors are more likely to call it advanced maternal age, meaning you’re 35 or older on your due date.
Most healthy women who become pregnant after age 35, or even in their 40s, have healthy babies. But that doesn’t mean you should take the pregnancy lightly. Working closely with your doctor throughout the pregnancy can ensure you and your baby stay as healthy as possible.
Problems can arise with a pregnancy no matter how old you are; however, some become more probable with an older mother, including:
You're born with a finite number of eggs, and you release one with each menstrual cycle. As you age, therefore, you have fewer eggs left, and they’re more likely to have damaged chromosomes, increasing the risk of birth defects.
Having a baby after 35 also increases the chances of twins or other multiples, since hormonal changes make it more likely your ovaries release more than one egg per cycle. That further raises the risk of complications.
Assisted reproductive technology that helps you get pregnant at a later age, like in-vitro fertilization, also can lead to multiple births.
Some women need only 1-2 treatments to improve age-related infertility, while others may require several.
Medications are the primary treatment for infertility due to ovulation issues. If your cycle is irregular or stops altogether, the medications can help the ovaries release an egg. Dr. Ahmed can determine which fertility drug would work best in your case.
The doctor places healthy sperm directly in the uterus around the time your ovary releases the egg or eggs to be fertilized for that cycle. IUI can be timed to match your menstrual cycle, or it can receive an assist with fertility medicines.
ART is any treatment in which the egg and sperm are handled to increase fertility. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common form of ART. A cycle of IVF includes:
If you have more fertilized eggs than you need, the embryos can be frozen for future use.
Dr. Ahmed discusses all the options with you at your consultation.
If you’re over 35 and want to become pregnant, speak with Dr. Ahmed about the steps to ensure a healthy mom and baby. To get started, give the office a call or schedule online today.
