18 May Becoming pregnant after 40

By Reproclinic Editorial Committee

In developed countries, there is a generalized and booming phenomenon in society, the delay of motherhood. More and more women want to conceive their first child at age 40.

The most common causes of this phenomenon are the difficulty of conciliation at work, the professional aspirations before the family, the formation of new couples or second marriages.

How does age affect female fertility?

Female fertility decreases with age. The fertile age begins with the first menstruation.

The probability of pregnancy in its highest percentage is over 22 years when it becomes 25%. From then on, at age 35 it goes down to 15%, and at age 40 the odds are 8% only to fall drastically later on. At 42, the percentage is around 5%. In addition, age does not only negatively affect fertility, but also produces chromosomal alterations in embryos.

The chances of an embryo being chromosomally altered between 38 and 40 years is 85%. This high percentage makes it really difficult not only to achieve pregnancy, but it also exponentially increases the chances of having an abortion or having a baby with a chromosomal syndrome.

However, thanks to medical and technological advances, there are different ways to maximize the chances of having a healthy baby regardless of the age of the pregnant mother, like with In Vitro Fertilization using donor eggs, which is the most demanded technique by women who’re over 38 years old.

At Reproclinic we also offer different laboratory techniques such as the study of genetic compatibility, the genetic diagnosis of embryos, the screening of recessive diseases or the non-invasive prenatal test to increase the chances of conceiving a healthy child.

How do these genetic analyzes work?

At Reproclinic we use all the techniques and studies necessary to maximize the chances of developing a healthy child. Our priority is to make couples and single mothers happy to fulfill their dream of having a child. For this reason, the treatments include all the analyzes and techniques necessary to achieve our goal.

The genetic analyzes that are most used in our facilities to offer the best results are:

• Genetic diagnosis of embryos: The diagnosis is made from an embryo biopsy, which consists of obtaining embryo cells from when it is only 5 days old (blastocyst). Thanks to this, it is possible to detect if the embryos present a correct chromosomal endowment without alterations that prevent the embryo from implanting in the maternal uterus, which is not capable of developing (abortion or non-evolving pregnancy) or that is born with Edwards Syndrome or Down Syndrome.
• Genetic compatibility study: We analyze the donors genetics and the recipient woman or the couple involved in the treatment. This way we can assign the right donor for each recipient, genetically studying the compatibility of donors and partners, analyzing more than 300 recessive diseases.
• Screening of recessive diseases: Through blood tests, we detect the genetic mutation of each member and its combination, as this can lead to disease. The objective is to know the genetic compatibility of the couple and select the most appropriate treatment in order to avoid risks.
• Non-invasive prenatal test: The Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) is a non-invasive genetic study performed on the mother’s blood (in the first weeks of pregnancy) to ensure that there are no diseases in the fetus.

How can I get pregnant at 40 and have a healthy baby?

All the genetic techniques and analyzes mentioned above maximize the chances of having a healthy baby with your own eggs. However, due to factors such as age in women over 38 years of age, it is recommended to use the ovules of a young donor.

If you have little ovarian reserve, a poor quality of eggs or alterations in them, using a young woman’s ovules will reduce the risk that the embryo having chromosomal alterations and achieving a successful pregnancy.

The most used treatment in women of 38 years or more with poor ovarian quality or who have already tried to conceive before with their own ovules without success is the IVF with egg donation. The chances of pregnancy in an IVF with egg donation are between 65-80%. They are very high success rates but it should be noted that the probabilities depend on many factors. The age of the woman, the quality of the semen and of the transferred embryos or if there is any endometrial pathology, among others. According to your case, the specialist will estimate what chances of pregnancy you have.

How do In Vitro Fertilization programs work with remote egg donation?

At Reproclinic we have three in vitro fertilization programs with donor eggs that adapt to your needs.

Reproclinic4ED (Reproclinic for Egg donation)

Your physician will begin, together with Reproclinic, the preparation of the endometrium. Reproclinic in Barcelona will be responsible for selecting the donor, their ovarian stimulation, and retrieved the eggs. Once the endometrium is started, you will travel to Barcelona to be able to deliver the sperm sample on the same day the donor’s eggs are retrieved and you will be able to enjoy Barcelona for about five days, at which time the embryos will be transferred. You can head back home the next morning. The total stay in Barcelona, ​​in this case, is approximately seven days.

Reproclinic4T (Reproclinic for Transfer)

Your physician will begin, together with Reproclinic, the preparation of the endometrium and the collection and cryopreservation of the sperm. The sperm sample will be sent to Reproclinic. Reproclinic in Barcelona will be responsible for selecting the donor, the ovarian stimulation, and obtaining the eggs. Once the endometrium is ready to receive the embryos, you can travel to Barcelona to have them implanted (the woman alone, or the couple). The next morning you can travel back to your country. The total stay in Barcelona, ​​in this case, is approximately three days.

Reproclinic4DED (Reproclinic for distance egg donation)

Your physician will initiate, together with Reproclinic, the preparation of the endometrium and the collection and cryopreservation of the sperm. The sperm sample will be sent to Reproclinic. Reproclinic in Barcelona will be responsible for selecting the donor, the ovarian stimulation, and retrieving the eggs. Once the sperm is received, Reproclinic proceeds with creating the in vitro embryos, selecting the most viable and vitrifying them. Once vitrified, Reproclinic sends them to your sterility center, which will proceed with the implantation of the embryos. Thanks to this program, you won’t have to leave your country.

In addition, our donors are selected to achieve the greatest phenotypic and immunological similarity with the woman and the couple. The donors, moreover, go through a strict selection process, well above the standards that are governed by Spanish legislation.

If your desire is to be a mother but you are worried about age, at Reproclinic we serve women up to 49 years oldwho want to fulfill the dream of being mothers. Do not give up building a family, you’re still on time! Contact us now and take advantage of our first free consultation, whether meeting in person OR through Skype.