Fertility after 40: understanding the facts

You’re over 40 and want a baby. Maybe, you’ve accomplished some important career goals and feel financially secure enough to embark on parenthood. Maybe you’ve finally found the partner you’ve been searching for. Or maybe you’ve stopped waiting and have decided to go it alone. 

So, what does fertility in your 40s look like? 

First, the bad news

Fertility after 40 can be a complex journey, with age introducing unique challenges and influencing conception success rates. 

Age is the most important factor affecting a woman’s fertility. As women approach their 40s, their ovarian reserves – the quantity and quality of eggs – naturally decline, making it harder to get pregnant. Statistically, a healthy 40-year-old has about a 5% chance of conceiving per cycle. Meanwhile, the risk of pregnancy loss increases dramatically. 

Men’s fertility also declines with age. While men continue to make millions of new sperm each day, those sperm may not be such good ‘swimmers’. Sperm motility declines with age, making it harder for sperm to reach an egg. 

So, a couple trying to conceive in their 40s may face problems relating to the quality and quantity of their eggs and sperm. Many people turn to IVF but success isn’t guaranteed – indeed many clinics won’t treat patients over 40. 

If you do achieve a pregnancy, you’re more likely to face complications such as:

• Chromosomal abnormalities – these rise to 1 in 100 for women over 40, compared to 1 in 400 for a 30-year-old
• Gestational diabetes
• Placenta previa
• Placental abruption
• Stillbirth.  

While that sounds scary, it’s important to remember that most babies are born healthy, even if their parents are older. 

Then, some good news

There are exceptions to every rule and some people will conceive naturally in their 40s despite the unpalatable statistics. 

Most people, though, require some help to improve fertility in their 40s. A fertility specialist can give you and your partner (if you have one) a thorough work-up so that you know about your ovarian reserve or sperm count. 

With that knowledge, we can then recommend the most suitable fertility treatments, which may include: 

• Improving your overall health
• Ovarian rejuvenation – a treatment pioneered by Demeter Fertility
• Ovarian stimulation to increase egg production
• IVF, possibly with variations such as: 
  • Donor eggs or sperm – accessing eggs or sperm from younger donors can increase the likelihood of a successful pregnancy
  • Intracytoplasmic sperm injection to help overcome problems relating to sperm motility
  • Pre-implantation genetic testing to ensure we select the healthiest embryos. 

It’s an uncomfortable truth that the chances of pregnancy once you’re in your 40s are not high. But there is still a chance. Often, you’re best option is IVF with ovarian stimulation. 

At Demeter Fertility, we don’t turn anyone away. We don’t have cut-offs based on age. If you’d like our help to get pregnant, we’re here for you. 

If you’re already facing age-related fertility challenges, it’s best to consult a fertility specialist as soon as possible.  

Please contact us if you’d like to explore your options.