Getting Pregnant Over Age 40: Challenges & Solutions for Career Women When Trying to Conceive Promoted Getting Pregnant

Your 30s flashed by in the blink of an eye. You were getting married, moving up the career ladder, traveling and making the most of your life. Having a family was always on your to-do list, but not until you were settled, ready and at the "right" point in your life.

But now that you’re finally ready to become a mom in your 40s, it may be proving difficult to conceive naturally. Unfortunately, your ovaries were ready 10 years ago. In your 30s, there was a 20 percent chance you’d get pregnant each month. Now, in your 40s, there’s likely just a 5 percent chance.

After months of trying to get pregnant, you now find yourself researching websites like DonorEggBankUSA.com, considering adoption and wondering why you hadn’t thought about this sooner. Sadly, while 30 may be the new 40 in many ways, our biological clocks aren’t keeping up with this new way of thinking. However, this doesn’t mean the family you’ve always wanted is no longer possible, nor does it mean your career needs to be placed on the back-burner.

Rather, it may mean a different route to your end goal – but you may be able to get there.

Why Do So Many Women in Their 40s Struggle to Conceive?

Getting pregnant in your 40s is far more difficult than in your 30s for many women, and even more complicated than it would have been in your 20s. While you’ll often hear about women getting pregnant naturally in their 40s, this is far from the norm. The odds of naturally becoming pregnant significantly declines the older you are.

Regarding pregnancy in your 40s, other points to consider are increased risk of miscarriage, high blood pressure, diabetes and thyroid disease. All of these potential complications increase for “geriatric” pregnancies (any pregnancy over the age of 35). Additional risks include gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, low birth weight, premature labor and C-section births.

Reading about these potential complications may make you reconsider getting pregnant in your 40s altogether. But seeking help from your doctor and/or a fertility specialist, researching your options and being mindful of what complications may arise – so you can spot them early on – may help you take that step forward toward your dream family.

If you discover that you can’t conceive naturally, there are still family-building options available to you.

What Fertility Treatments Are Available for 40-Something Women?

If decreased egg count and quality are the reasons why you’re struggling to conceive, hormonal treatment and traditional IVF may not be the right methods for you. Instead, your doctor may offer alternative IVF solutions, like donor eggs.

For women with reduced egg quantity or quality, using egg donation removes your eggs from the equation, which is the key reason behind such complications. Using donated eggs from a healthy, young donor enables you to still enjoy pregnancy and give birth to your baby.

If both your eggs and your partner’s sperm are deemed healthy – but you’ve been unable to maintain a pregnancy – surrogacy may be the best route for you.

Additionally, while it isn’t a fertility treatment, adoption is another family-building alternative to consider.

Each option comes with advantages and disadvantages depending on your personal preferences. For instance, you may find the thought of using another woman’s eggs to conceive difficult to come to terms with, or that surrogacy or adoption isn’t ideal because you want to carry and give birth to your baby.

Taking the time to figure out which path is right for you is vital before moving forward.

Will Fertility Treatments Take Over My Life?

After you’ve decided which family-building avenue to take, you may worry the various appointments and commitments required will take over your life. Will you need to sacrifice your social life as a result? Will your career suffer because of the time you need off work? The answer depends on which treatment you choose!

Fertility treatments and plans, like frozen donor egg cycles, can work to fit into your schedule and life. Some treatment plans may require many fertility appointments and difficult medication regimens that require a great deal of effort to plan and rework your schedule. Should you choose to use frozen donor eggs, there are typically only two appointments you need to make with your fertility clinic, and minimal medication plans.

With the family-building options available to you today, becoming a mom in your 40s can be part of your plan. Even though your plan may need to be adjusted slightly, you can fulfill your dreams of parenthood.

The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.

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