Fertility Treatments And Medications
There are a number of fertility treatments that may improve your chances of getting pregnant:
- Fertility medications that stimulate ovulation can be considered, though its important to talk to your healthcare provider about whether or not they’re right for you.
- Intrauterine insemination is a treatment where sperm is inserted directly into the uterus with the use of a speculum and a small catheter.
- In-vitro fertilization is an ART procedure where your own eggs or donor eggs are fertilized in a lab and then implanted into the uterus.
Why Does Fertility Change Over Time
So, why do our bodies become less equipped for conception the older we get? It basically comes down to the simple fact that people with ovaries are born with a certain number of eggs: This number is astonishingly around seven million when youre just a fetus. Once youre born, that number drops down to around a million, and at puberty youre down to around 300K.
As you can probably guess, this number will continue to decrease as you go about living your life, and for a lot of that time, maybe not even thinking about your fertility. In addition to the number of eggs remaining, the quality of the eggs you have also drops over the years. So, even if an egg is available for fertilization, its quality plays a role in whether or not meeting up with sperm would result in a viable pregnancy.
While there’s no way to test for egg quality before trying to get pregnant, you can get insight into egg quantity. Measuring your anti-Mullerian hormone is the best way to understand your ovarian reserve or how many eggs you have in the wings. The Modern Fertility Hormone Test makes that easy with a simple at-home finger prick. You’ll even get detailed, personalized reports on your ovarian reserve, predicted menopause timing, as well as potential outcomes for egg freezing and in-vitro fertilization all good things to know when you’re mapping out your timeline for kids.
What Are The Chances Of Getting Pregnant At 44 Naturally
The truth is that conception at 44 is rare no matter which statistics you look at.
- The success rate is about 3% per menstrual cycle, which means that out of 100 fertile women who try to conceive in one cycle, 3 will be successful. The success rate drops to below 1% after 44 years of age.
- In another study, 5% of women age 43 or 44 who used their own eggs in IVF treatment became pregnant and carried to term. In the same study, 56% of patients using donor eggs in IVF treatment were successful regardless of age.
- Results for 2016 from the HFEA , show a success of 3% for patients aged 43-44 who attempt IVF using their own eggs.
But whatever the statistics may say, it is possible to get pregnant naturally. I was pregnant at 44 myself.
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Normal Way To Get Pregnant
If you wish to get pregnant, then you should have regular intercourse during your fertile mucus or fertile window.
What is your fertile mucus? Your fertile mucus is cervical mucus from your vagina that indicate when ovulation will occur. Intercourse during this type of vaginal discharge may get you pregnant.
What is ovulation?Ovulation is the process of egg release from your ovaries. This egg when fertilized by the sperm will make you pregnant. Learning your ovulation discharge can help you detect when ovulation will occur.
When is your fertile window? Your fertile window are 6 days you can get pregnant during your menstrual cycle.
If you are trying to prevent pregnancy, then you should avoid intercourse during your fertile window. If you want to get pregnant, then you need to have regular intercourse during your fertile days.
Having Sex Every Day Is Better For Conception
The myth that more sex is equal to better chances of conception is not correct. While regular sex obviously grants people better odds of conceiving, as with everything in life, quality is better than quantity. One sperm cell is enough to ensure conception and each ejaculation contains thousands of sperm cells. Therefore, it is not the number of times that sex occurs, but the quality of the sperm that matters their mobility and the health of their DNA is what affects conception. Even ejaculating once is enough to conceive if it is timed right during the womans ovulation period and if the individual sperm cells are healthy swimmers.
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Can You Get Pregnant During Ovulation
Of course! This is the ideal time for conception. If you dont know when you ovulate, you can use tools such as a basal body thermometer or ovulation predictor to help you determine when you ovulate. You can also study the consistency of your cervical mucus or use the calendar method to have an idea of when you ovulate.
If you know when you ovulate, you can time intercourse and consequently boost your conception chances. In general, your odds of conceiving are high if you have intercourse within 36 hours. Remember that once released, your egg cannot live beyond 12 hours.
Is It Possible To Get Pregnant At 44
Firstly, I want to start with the positives. It is very possible to get pregnant at 44. Now, obviously, I must add a few caveats to this statement. You will need to still be having regular periods More than that, you need to be ovulating There may also be other medical issues that might need looking into.
The negative side is that it may take you much longer than it would have done in your 20s or 30s. So you may need to have some patience. There are a lot of different statistics cited for conception at 44 with IVF but in truth, it is difficult to find information about natural conception at this age because the women in this group are unlikely to be monitored, whether they succeed or not.
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Prescription Medications And Conception
It’s also possible to have a medical condition that doesn’t affect ovulation or fertility, but to be on medications for that condition that do affect ovulation or fertility. For example, there’s no reason to think that people with mild musculoskeletal pain would have issues with ovulation. But a recent study showed that the medication used to treat pain in a group of these women nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decreased progesterone levels and impaired ovulation, both of which negatively impact chances of conception. There’s also evidence that medication for mental health conditions, like antidepressants, can have an effect on fertility.
If you have a diagnosed medical condition or are taking prescription meds, talk to your doctor before TTC. They will be able to give you crucial insight into how your diagnoses and meds may impact your chances of conception , and suggest steps to help you maximize those chances.
How Does Age Impact Fertility
There are many common misconceptions about how age affects pregnancy, namely concerning fertility after age 35. While its true that a person with ovaries will have their highest chances of conceiving in their 20s, there isnt a hard drop-off the moment you reach your 35th birthday. Think of it more as a gradual hill than a cliff, one that declines a bit each year from puberty through menopause.
Youve probably heard about the biological clock your entire adult life but is it something you really have to think about with each passing birthday? First, its important to point out that the entire biological clock narrative actually comes from outdated views on fertility and the role of people with ovaries in general. As science progresses and we continue to learn more about what affects our fertility, its clear that age is one single factor and not the only one. What’s most important is staying informed of your chances and options regarding pregnancy and maintaining the healthiest lifestyle you can.
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Odds Of Having Twins With Treatments
Fertility treatments that boost ovulation can lead to twins, triplets, or higher-order multiples. Conceiving multiples is a potential risk of fertility treatments and one that can possibly be reduced with careful monitoring and targeted treatment such as single embryo transfer with IVF treatment or using the lowest possible effective dosage when treating with gonadotropins.
You may wonder why conceiving multiples is considered a “risk” and not a potential benefit to fertility treatments. After all, if you’ve been struggling to get pregnant, wouldn’t a double or triple blessing be a good thing? The fact is that multiple pregnancies come with added risks to the parent and babies.Not all treatments for infertility increase your odds of conceiving twins, but most do. Here are some of the treatments that may lead to twins.
| Up to 5% |
Clomid and Femera have the lowest rate of twins, ranging from 5% to 12%. The rate of triplets and higher-order multiples with these medications is under 1%. Gonadotropins, whether used with or without IUI treatment, have the highest rate of twins and higher-order multiples.
According to some studies, up to 30% of pregnancies conceived with gonadotropins lead to multiples. Most of these pregnancies are twin pregnancies, but up to 5% are triplet or higher-order pregnancies.
Can You Increase Effectiveness Of The Withdrawal Method
Basically, the withdrawal method is not iron-clad. “The advice I try to give couples is that if you’re seriously using withdrawal, you have to be comfortable as a couple with idea of fully finishing sex ,” says Dr. Creinin. “If you are going to enter the vagina without any protection, you should withdraw long before finishing and being really stimulated. Pulling out before the brink of orgasm does not protect you.”
That means you should be putting a condom on once the penis is erect, before skin-to-skin contact.
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Dealing With Low Sperm Counts
If sperm counts are borderline normal or on the lower side, the general recommendation is to have sex every other day during the fertile window.
For example, if on Monday you get your first positive ovulation predictor test result, or you see fertile cervical mucus, you should have sex on Monday, skip Tuesday, and then again on Wednesday, skip Thursday, and once more on Friday. The day in between will help replenish the sperm supply, possibly increasing your chances of pregnancy.
How To Boost Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant At 44
As I said, I was able to get pregnant at 44. It’s possible! And there are steps you can take to increase the likelihood of conception.
“It is important that she is looking for ovulation at the right time,” says Dr. John Thoppil, an ObGyn in Austin. “As a woman ages, it is common for cycle length to shorten. This usually means earlier ovulation. I would encourage the use of an ovulation predictor kit to ensure she is not missing her fertile window.”
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Identify Your Fertile Window And Start Tracking Ovulation
Your fertile window usually occurs mid-cycle and is the time period in which your chances of getting pregnant are at their highest. During this window, ovulation when an egg is released from an ovary occurs. Once this happens, conception is possible.
Tracking your cycle helps set you up for success by narrowing down your fertile window. But the next step to further improve your chances of getting pregnant is identifying when youre ovulating. Since conception cant happen until an egg is released, knowing your ovulation window helps you better time sex.
From monitoring your cervical mucus and basal body temperature, to ovulation predictor kits, there are several methods to help figure out your most fertile days.
Want to know more? Check out our guide to fertility and ovulation.
Fertility Treatments After 40
Research has shown that assisted reproductive technology is less effective after you reach the age of 40, and the rate continues to fall as you get older.
For example, intrauterine insemination success rates can be as low as 5% for women in their 40s. In vitro fertilization has slightly better success rates for older peopleabout 15% per cycle. Still, this rate is not as good as it is for younger people.
The percentage of live births per IVF cycle for women over 40 is only 5.8%.
Egg donation may offer the best chance for someone who wants to get pregnant after the age of 40. In this process, a person can become pregnant using a donated egg that has been inseminated with the sperm of their partner or a donor.
The success rates for IVF using a donor egg can be upwards of 35% in cases of diminished ovarian reserve .
While the success rates are encouraging, using an egg donor means that the person who becomes pregnant won’t have a genetic connection to their child.
The decision to use an egg donor can be difficult to make. Some people will consider the option and decide it’s not the right choice for them.
The process can also be costly. The price tag may prevent some people from using egg donation services to become pregnant.
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Fertility Does Not Depend On The Age Of The Couple
The prime reproductive age of humans has been found to be the ages between the 20s and the 30s. There will be a slight fall in fertility levels after the age of 35 and a sharp fall after that. After this, that is, any time during the age of 40 and above, the chances of a healthy unassisted pregnancy without complications, such as a miscarriage and genetic abnormalities, are quite low. This is true for both men and women.
How To Know When Youre Ovulating
Knowing when you ovulate can help you plan for sex at the right time and improve your chance of getting pregnant. You can keep track of your menstrual cycles on a chart, in a diary, or on a free period-tracker app on your smartphone.
To work out the length of your menstrual cycle, record the first day you start bleeding . This is day 1. The last day of your cycle is the day before your next period begins.
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Some people think the menstrual cycle and a period are the same thing.
A period is when you bleed .
A menstrual cycle starts on the day when a period starts and ends the day before the next period. A cycles length is considered normal if its between 21 and 35 days. They can vary between women and from one cycle to the next.
- Working out your average menstrual cycle length
If your menstrual cycles are different lengths you can work out your average cycle length.
The number of days in a womans menstrual cycle can vary month to month. Periods are not always regular. It can be useful to work out an average cycle length, based on the length of three menstrual cycles, to estimate when youre most likely to be ovulating.
If you add the number of days in three cycles and divide the total number by three, it gives you your average cycle length.
Example
Sarah tracked her last three menstrual cycles by counting the time from the first day of one period, to the day before the next period.
Cycle 1 was 28 days Cycle 2 was 32 days Cycle 3 was 27 days
28 + 32 + 27 = 87
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Infertility Evaluation And Advanced Maternal Age
Infertility usually is diagnosed if a woman has not become pregnant after 1 year of unprotected intercourse . However, if she is 35 or older, the evaluation should begin after 6 months of trying unsuccessfully to conceive. If a couple has an obvious medical problem affecting their ability to conceive, such as absence of periods , sexual dysfunction, a history of pelvic disease, or prior surgery, they should begin the infertility evaluation immediately. Fertility tests may include ovulation detection and evaluation of the fallopian tubes, cervix, and uterus. The male partner will have a semen analysis. Most testing can be completed within 6 months, and appropriate treatment can be started immediately after the evaluation is completed.
What Are The Chances Of Getting Pregnant Before Ovulation
Ovulation will occur 14 to 16 days before your next menstruation. If you are not sure about when you ovulate, you should learn the symptoms and signs of ovulation.
These are some of the sign that show when you ovulate
- Your discharge becomes watery, egg-white and very stretchy
- You feel like you want intercourse more
- Your breast pains and swells
- You experience spotting or brown discharge
If you feel or notice some of these symptoms, then you may be close to ovulation or already ovulated.
However, it may be difficult to know these signs if you are not conscious of your menstrual cycle and vaginal discharge. You can buy an ovulation kit or fertility monitor to help you know when ovulation will occur.
In a 28 day cycle, the chances of getting pregnant with intercourse 7 days before ovulation may be slim. However, if you have intercourse 5 days before ovulation occurs, then you may conceive.
If you have a 28 day cycle, it means intercourse on day 9 to day 14 may get you pregnant.
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