How to Increase Chances of Getting Pregnant After 35
Getting pregnant after the age of 35 is usually more difficult than trying to conceive in your 20s or early 30s. However, it isn't impossible. Older women trying to conceive have several options to improve their chances of having a healthy pregnancy. Below is some basic information about getting pregnant over the age of 35 and what you can do to make success more likely.
Why Is It Hard to Get Pregnant after 35?
As you get older, the number of eggs in your ovaries decreases. The quality of the remaining eggs also declines. Both of these factors make it harder for you to conceive in the first place. In addition, the drop in egg quality can lead to a higher rate of chromosomal abnormalities, making it more difficult to have a successful pregnancy.
It isn't possible to increase the number of eggs in your ovaries. However, it may be possible to improve the quality of the eggs that remain.
How to Deal with Declining Fertility
If you are over the age of 35 and you can't conceive after a few months of trying, it may be in your best interest to seek treatment for infertility. Some of your treatment options may include:
- Ovulation Induction - Some women are able to increase their chances of conception with ovulation induction. This treatment involves using medications and hormones to encourage ovulation or improve the quality of ovulation.
- IUI - IUI, or artificial insemination, involves introducing washed sperm into the uterus around the time of ovulation to increase the chances of a conception.
- IVF - In-vitro fertilization involves joining the sperm and egg outside of the body and returning the embryo to the uterus after a few days.
- Gestational surrogacy - If you are unable to carry a baby on your own, gestational surrogacy may be your best option. This involves finding a healthy woman who agrees to carry a baby on your behalf. In this type of surrogacy, the doctor usually takes an egg from the future mother and sperm from the future father to create the embryo transferred to the gestational surrogate's uterus. Donor eggs and/or donor sperm may also be used.
- Traditional surrogacy - In the case of a traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is the baby's genetic mother. In most cases, she is artificially inseminated using sperm from the future father. This arrangement is less common than gestational surrogacy.
To learn more about your options for conceiving over 35, please contact New York Reproductive Wellness today.
