Society today
If we take a look at how maternal age has changed throughout history, we will see that the number of women giving birth at what doctors call “advanced maternal age” has increased drastically in the past decades.
If back in the 60’s, most women used to have their first child between 20 and 24 years old, by 2018, the first birth occurred to women aged 25 to 29.
At the same time, the number of women over 40 years of age having children has doubled. A study published in the UK in 2017 showed that the number of women aged 40 and over who conceived in 2017 was twice as high as the number of women of the same age who conceived in 1997.
There is a socio-economic explanation for this. In the past decades, more and more women have focused on pursuing their careers and, therefore, got married and started families later in life. The divorce and remarriage rates also went up. Economic issues in the Western world these days make it more and more complicated for young couples to settle, buy a property and start a family. All of these aspects impact the moment couples decide to start growing their family. Even the concept of “advanced maternal age” has changed over the years, with the age increasing from 35 to 40, and even over 45.
Ovarian reserve
The main issue with having babies later in life is the fact that the biological clock doesn’t understand socio-economic problems. Women are born with their entire ovarian reserve, and the ovarian reserve depletes throughout their reproductive years.
Moreover, the quality of the eggs is notoriously influenced by age. Less eggs of doubtful quality may make conception more complicated, and even when conception happens, miscarriage rates tend to go up.
Unfortunately, nothing can be done to increase ovarian reserve. But you can make sure your overall health is optimal, as this has an important influence over the health of your reproductive system, your hormones and ultimately your eggs.
Staying as fit as possible, eating healthy, sleeping enough, exercising in moderation, using supplements under the recommendation of your doctor, and trying to limit stress-might give your fertility quite the boost.
Risks and benefits
There are several risks when having a child later in life. This article is not supposed to scare or dissuade you from trying to conceive over 40. At ART, we believe in science and facts, and we value access to accurate information so that every patient can choose and be informed.
Among the risks worth mentioning we should note:
-higher risk of miscarriage
-pre-eclampsia
-gestational diabetes
-high BP during pregnancy
-higher need of a C-section
This doesn’t mean that all women over 40 will experience these risks, just that it is a possibility worth taking into account, and it has to be discussed with your medical team to make sure they are proactive and can help you navigate a potential pregnancy later in life seamlessly.
In all honesty, there are also many benefits to having babies later in life. Economic stability, a strong and well-established relationship, more wisdom and patience—that’s what older mothers claim makes a huge difference compared to when they were in their 20s, struggling to make ends meet, focusing on finishing their studies and starting their careers.
How medicine can help
It must be said that just because you’re older doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant and have a healthy baby. Many women over 40 get pregnant naturally and have perfectly healthy pregnancies.
But if women under 35 are advised to try for up to 1 year naturally before seeing a specialist, if you’re over 40 and want a baby, make sure you make an appointment to a specialist in reproductive medicine if you had no success within 6 months of trying.
Medicine has evolved a lot, and at ART Fertility Centre, we have experience with older patients. We tailor our treatments to each patient based on their individual needs.
Moreover, during IVF, we use PGTA to test the embryos for potential chromosomal issues, thus making sure to transfer only healthy embryos, minimising the risk of miscarriage as much as possible.
If you’re considering having a baby later in life but want to make sure you have all the correct information, schedule an appointment with one of our Reproductive Medicine specialists at one of our clinics in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Al Ain.
We are happy to explain how we can help you at one of our top-notch clinics, and we will be thrilled to be part of your journey.