Getting pregnant at 40 is not really a big deal if only you try a little harder than the usual. Of course things can be a little faster and surer if you can take the assistance of modern medical technologies. Nevertheless do not forget that getting pregnant at this point in your life is a little riskier than getting pregnant in mid 30s and more so if it is your first baby. If you already have children you begot in your younger years, then another pregnancy in the 40s does not carry much risk if you are still maintaining good health.
Getting pregnant at 40 again does not mean that assisted methods alone are your options, it can happen naturally too. It is also part genetic, about good health and fitness; all in one. If you have been trying to bear another baby for whatever reason, and you are not successful, then waste no time. Take your decision as fast as you possibly can; the older you get, the riskier is the whole process. Consider every option your doctor has for you; there are many and one should work for you.
Before we venture to discuss the medical options available, a brief discussion about maintaining appropriate health for the eventuality can greatly help you to get pregnant at 40. If you are wanting in health, then try getting back your lost health. Obesity, hypertension, high blood pressure, malignant diseases etc. can all cause complications that you may want to avoid. Your career too can have undesirable effect, so plan ahead for that too.
· Fitness is important for getting pregnant at 40. If you are overweight than get into a fitness regimen soon. Begin by walking a couple of miles a day in the morning and follow it with stretching and weight training in the evening. You need to strengthen your abdominal muscle to take on the rigors associated with child bearing. It can also ensure that you make a natural delivery than an assisted one like caesarian.
· Exercises help a lot more than anything else, but nutrition too needs it share of attention. See if you are already doing well on that. If not, make changes as fast as you can. Take supplements to fortify your otherwise healthy diet and try to seek the assistance of a nutritionist, they should be able to work out a plan for you.
· If your husband or partner is in his late fifties or older than that, he too may need some medical checkup. His sperm count and motility will make a big difference, because, you cannot wait indefinitely for getting pregnant at 40. Advice him to visit a urologist and get a thorough semen test done for sperm count, motility, viscosity, dead sperm count, giant head sperms etc.; they all matter a lot. If he is more than the desirable weight then he too may need exercises to improve his libido.
If getting pregnant at 40 does not work naturally, then there are medically assisted options that you can consider. Do not expect wonders at the first attempt; they take time and a little experimenting even for an expert fertility specialist. First the doctor will need to check your menstruation cycle consistency, conduct swab tests, make scan test to check the quality of the ovum your ovaries produce, hormone balance test and so on. Only after a thorough study can your doctor give you the right options. If you are not satisfied with his recommendations, then let him know about your intention to seek a second opinion elsewhere. It may work; you can never tell. Here are some of the two options you can hope to get from your fertility specialist.
1. Hormone injection shots if your ovaries are not producing enough of mature eggs that result in a successful conception, presuming of course that the semen you receive is of right quality and quantity. In some women the ovaries may have ceased producing the eggs, and if you are not averse to accepting a donor egg, then it should be fine for you. It is less complicated in medical terms, but you will need to sort out the legal issues first.
2. IVF (in vitro fertilization) will be recommended if your ovaries are capable of producing mature eggs and all other options have failed. Typically you will receive hormone shots that make your ovaries produce more than the usual number of mature eggs to be inseminated outside your body and later placed inside your womb for full growth. You will be required to visit your doctor’s office periodically for monitoring the fetal growth, least you develop complications. The possibilities of bearing twins or triplets are the undesirable effect for which you need to be prepared.
There are also many medically assisted options that are at best only a variant of the two above. A fertility specialist, generally a gynecologist, should be able make the right choice for getting pregnant at 40.
