You need to be well informed if you want to have a baby in your 40s, finds Larraine Sathicq. Although we’re at our most fertile in our 20s, statistics show the number of women giving birth in their 40s has almost tripled in recent years. As more women spend their younger years building a career, or struggle to meet the right partner, an increasing number are holding off on having babies until a time when they might also be approaching menopause.
While some might think delaying for that long is too big a risk, there’s often sound reasoning
for waiting until you’re ready to be happily pregnant, says Melbourne obstetrician,
gynaecologist and fertility specialist Dr Joseph Sgroi.
“Many couples want to be socially, emotionally and financially prepared before they start a
family and some want to enjoy themselves before they take on the responsibility of
parenthood,” he explains.
The passage of time, however, does mean that getting pregnant and staying pregnant is a
lot trickier for older women, he adds. So if you’re thinking of having a baby in your 40s,
here’s what you need to know.
If you are planing on a baby in your 40s remember your eggs are older
The number of eggs in your ovaries declines rapidly at age 35 and because the quality of
remaining eggs is also compromised, the chance of conceiving each month drops from 20
per cent at age 30 to five per cent at age 40. Because of this, some successful midlife
pregnancies are thanks to donor eggs from younger women.
The chance of having twins increases in your 40s because as you get closer to menopause,
your hormones fluctuate.
MISCARRIAGE IS MORE LIKELY if you want tor try for a baby in your 40s
The risk of miscarriage increases with age, being five times higher at 42 than it is at 30. At
40, about three quarters of your eggs are chromosomally abnormal. Because of this,
pregnancy loss often happens early, when a genetic abnormality prevents the embryo from
developing beyond two or three cells.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Unexpected pregnancies can come as a shock to women who thought their eggs had
reached their use-by date. Even if your cycle has always been regular as clockwork,
ovulation can occur at odd times during perimenopause, the natural progression towards the
release of your final egg. This can be a gamechanger, flinging open that narrow window of
opportunity for conception when you might not be expecting it.
Also, remember that if you are trying to have a baby in your 40s, the chance of having twins increases in your 40s because as you get closer to
menopause, your hormones fluctuate, including FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which
tells your ovaries how many eggs to release in any given ovulation cycle. This can
sometimes result in two eggs being released.
WEIGHT MATTERS
More than half of Australian women are overweight or obese and this affects their chances
of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby.
Infertility rates are higher and live birth rates are lower for women who fall into this category –
and this particularly affects women in their 40s. But even moderate weight loss – seven per
cent of your body weight – can boost fertility and improve your chances of having a healthy
baby.
Weight gain and fertility problems are also common features of a hormonal condition called
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
BEING FIT AND HEALTHY HELPS
There’s not much you can do about your older eggs, but age is not the only impediment to
making babies. Talk with your doctor about the fact that you want to get pregnant – they will
help you rule out conditions like PCOS, diabetes, thyroid disorders and endometriosis, all of
which can impact your chances of getting pregnant.
Daily moderate-tovigorous exercise boosts fertility at any age, even for overweight or obese
women with PCOS. And avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke is important – even second-
hand smoke can make it harder for you to conceive.
Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive are advised to eat a healthy diet, and limit or
eliminate caffeine and alcohol, either of which can impair fertility or increase miscarriage risk.
Consider the health of your baby
The chances of Down syndrome increase from one in 350 at age 35 to one in 100 at age 40.
There is a non-invasive test to check for the disorder that’s offered to all expectant mothers,
not just older mothers.
Today, technology allows obstetricians to screen for other conditions too – they can monitor
your pregnancy for chromosomal conditions or placental failure (where the placenta blocks
the cervix or becomes detached).
If you are using IVF, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) technology allows your fertility
specialist to use healthy embryos.
DON’T RELY ON IVF if you are trying to have a baby in your 40s
Your chances of getting pregnant within three IVF cycles is 34 percent if you’re aged 36 to
40, and this drops dramatically to about five per cent if you’re 40 or older. So IVF doesn’t
give you a solid guarantee, especially if you plan on using your own eggs.
If you use an egg from a younger donor, your chances of success are the same as if you
were the same age as the donor (52 per cent for donors younger than 30).
It might still be worth seeing a fertility specialist sooner rather than later if you’ve been trying
to get pregnant for six months with no results.
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