As women pass 40 years of age and consider getting pregnant, they often seek pregnancy success stories from other women as a first step in exploring their chances of conceiving. While the stories of others are certainly motivational, speaking with a fertility doctor is the best way to get accurate and relevant information pertaining to a particular woman or couple’s chances of conceiving. Varying factors may go into determining their chances of successfully conceiving including certain health factors.
These days, more and more women are getting pregnant past 40. This is in large part thanks to medical advances that make pregnancy after 40 safer for both the mother and baby. Many have, therefore, heard some pregnancy success stories from women over 40 years old, giving hope to couples who have either waited to get pregnant, or who have tried and failed in the past.
There are multiple stories of women becoming pregnant over 40 years old, and even more controversial into their 60s. A few newsworthy occurrences were Elizabeth Buttle who gave birth after IVF treatment, but only after she said she was 49 years old which was later found to be untrue as she was 60 yeas old at the time. The oldest woman to give birth is Omkari Panwar, from India, who was 70 years old when she had twins in 2008.
A 48 year old mother from Canada, felt she was blessed to give birth to her daughter at 45 years of age. “I didn’t think it would be possible at 44 to get pregnant without medical intervention. It was a bit of a surprise” says Debbie. Other new mothers over 40 may use fertility treatments to assist in the process.
Couples who cannot get pregnant after months of trying should speak with a fertility specialist to determine if they are affected by infertility. If this is the case, certain fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, may be recommended. There are many fertility treatments available at most fertility clinics around the nation and couples are encouraged to explore all of their options.
When deciding to get pregnant after 40, no matter how many pregnancy success stories one has heard, couples should speak with a doctor regarding the potential risks to the mother and baby. As women age, the risk of birth defects may rise and the chances of medical complications for the mother may increase as well.
