Tips for getting pregnant at 40

For most women, trying to get pregnant can seem like a herculean task if she is not conceiving. This problem of having to try over and over again on order to get pregnant catapults especially in woman who are above 40 years of age. Not only do the chances of getting pregnant become slim after 40, the mental tension of having to wait or resorting to alternate resolutions such as in vitro fertilisation and donor eggs also pressurises couples.

Here are some tips to get pregnant at 40:

Kill the pill

If you have been using birth control pills, discontinue their use. This will allow the body to return to its natural cycle and it will in turn aid in conceiving.

[Read: How to prepare your body for Pregnancy after 40]

Beat the blues

If you have been trying to get pregnant for quite some time without any success, you might feel low or depressed. Remember that it takes time to conceive once you are 40 years or older. This is because the production of eggs dramatically decreases in the later years in a woman. In fact, the chances of getting pregnant at 40 years is around 50% for a woman, but this number depletes to a mere 2% by the time she is 43. The right thing to do is to shrug of all signs of depression and see a fertility doctor. In vitro fertilisation and donor eggs will significantly increase your chances of getting pregnant after 40.

[Read: Risks of Pregnancy at 40]

Kick the butt

If you have been smoking, it is time you quit. By time you are 40 years old, the chances of a normal pregnancy go down. Therefore, you need to be extra careful. Drinking and smoking can only increase your woes and cause further delay in conceiving. In fact your partner should also quit smoking as nicotine greatly diminishes the quality of the sperm and can also aid genetic disabilities in the newborn child. Added to that, you also have to get rid of any excess weight if you want to get pregnant after 40. Being overweight will only add to your woes of a high risk pregnancy, gestational diabetes and probable miscarriage.

[Read: Benefits of Pregnancy after 40]

Know your cycle

The days on which you ovulate during a month become greatly reduced by the time you are 40 years old. Therefore, you need to know your body. The best chance of getting pregnant after 40 is to keep a check on ovulation and also indulge in regular sexual activity. You also have to make sure that your partner is healthy enough to contribute to conceiving. Although men are capable of reproducing till they are 60 or even 70, sperm quality is greatly reduced. So, if your man has any unhealthy habit, he has to overcome it. Also in case there is some problem with this sperm, you can do in for sperm donation and it can lead to a successful pregnancy.

[Read: How to have a Healthy Pregnancy at 40?]

Think of alternatives

If you have been trying for quite some time and you still cannot conceive, it is you see a fertility specialist. S/he will suggest alternatives for you. For example with in vitro fertility treatment or IVF; the chances of a woman conceiving after 40, lie anywhere between 10 – 15 %. However, the chances in individual cases may vary with specific disorders or special needs. Again, if you are unable to produce healthy eggs after 40, you can get pregnant with donor eggs. The chance of a woman conceiving with fresh and not frozen donor eggs is as high as 43 %. 

Image: Getty

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