Motherhood After 40
While it was previously very difficult for a woman to conceive a child after 40, assisted reproduction technology (ART) has changed that. Motherhood after 40 has been on the rise.
According to the report “Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S. Women: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth”, more than 7.3 million women in the US have used infertility treatment at some point.
Many of these women have opted for motherhood after 40, also referred to as late motherhood, through IVF treatments and surrogacy in India, Georgia, Armenia, and other medical tourism destinations.
The reason to have surrogacy or own donor egg IVF in India and other medical tourism destinations after 40 is often to save money. While in the past, a woman had to choose between a career and a family, now both are possible thanks to IVF after 40 and surrogacy.
Fertility Over 40
- As a woman gets older, her chances of conceiving and carrying a child to term naturally begin to decline. It is a natural part of the aging process.
- The American Pregnancy Association has concluded that a woman is most fertile when she is under 35, yet this does not rule out having a baby at 40 or later.
- Normally, during a woman’s natural cycle, hundreds of eggs are released from her ovary into her fallopian tube, but only one develops to a usable size.
- IVF helps the body to fully develop more usable eggs at one time to increase the odds of fertility over 40.
Some things to consider before undergoing IVF after 40 are:
- Overall Health – You need to have good health in general. You should also have good mental and emotional health.
- Reproductive Health – Before considering IVF, you should have a series of check-ups, including a Pap smear and general reproductive blood work.
Pregnancy After IVF
- After a woman undergoes the stimulant medication, the eggs are retrieved.
- The eggs are fertilized with sperm and then implanted into the woman’s uterus.
- While there is no scientific explanation as to why it happens, some women may experience natural pregnancy after IVF.
- This is known to occur after what is called a “failed IVF” (when the eggs do not develop to a usable state despite undergoing stimulants) as well as after a successful IVF.
Surrogacy After 40
- While IVF makes it possible for a woman to have a baby after 40, there are other factors to consider.
- As a woman gets older, her uterus lining gets progressively thinner, which may interfere with the egg implantation process.
- A thin uterus lining may make pregnancy after 40 difficult. Under this circumstance, a woman can consider surrogacy.
- The surrogacy process allows a woman to still experience late motherhood with her own biological child even if she herself is unable to carry the child.
Many women and childless couples who decide to find a surrogate do so in India. Surrogacy in India is growing each year. The reasons why people opt for surrogacy in India are:
- Experienced Doctors – Indian fertility health care professionals are highly experienced in dealing with surrogacy. Fertility doctors in India are often educated abroad and are up to date on all the modern technologies and practices for treatment.
- Good Care – The surrogate and baby’s health are both closely monitored. Both are well taken care of by trained specialists.
- Cleanliness – Reputable Surrogacy clinics in India are clean and engage the latest of the equipment.
- Cost – The cost of surrogacy in India is drastically less than it is in the US.
- Healthy Surrogate Mothers – The surrogate mothers in India are carefully screened for STDs and various other diseases before being engaged for the surrogacy program. They are also subject to psychiatric and psychological evaluations.
With the technological advancements, motherhood after 40 is no more a distant possibility.
