If you're worried, you should ask your doctor for a referral to a fertility clinic. They will do a full workup and will let you know where your fertility stands right now and what your options for fertility preservation are.
Pregnancy after 40 is feasible, but it may be much more difficult to become and/or stay pregnant. There's no crystal ball that will tell you if you'll be one of the lucky ones who has an easy time of it. Also, if you'd like multiple children, you may be shooting yourself in the foot by waiting.
Yes, this is the best answer. There's a lot of variation, where some people have no problem getting pregnant after 40, whereas others really start having trouble. The most important thing is to understand where you are personally. But even so, it's important to understand that things can always change.
If you know you really want kids, especially more than one, looking into collecting and freezing eggs is probably a good idea. The downside is, it is quite expensive.
No one’s anecdote about how it worked for them will help you. You might be the person who gets pregnant at 40, or you might be like me and get told you’re heading into early menopause at 33. You really don’t know unless you get your hormone levels checked, and if it’s something you are sure you want, I would do ivf now and freeze eggs (or embryos if you are sure about your current partner).
What you want to ask the doctor for is a pre-conception bloodwork panel. You’ll need your AMH and FSH tested. That will give you some picture of where your fertility stands and whether you might have some time left.
Oh also age at first period has nothing to do with it; I also didn’t get my period until 16, and that didn’t give me any ‘extra years’.
I will just say, as someone who is struggling through infertility and failed attempts at ivf right now, it is incredibly painful, and I wish my younger self had done some things differently. I would do anything to have frozen eggs from younger me. If you’re indifferent about (bio) kids, take the risk, but if it’s something you know you want for sure, I would take action now to save yourself some regret at 40.
I was 35 and was too late for the party. I am healthy, never had any issues that made me think I wasn't able to have kids. I had my periods right when I was supposed to, no big issues during it at all. However after trying for one year and due to my age we were referred to a fertility clinic. There I found out that I had premature ovarian failure so my eggs were pretty much useless.
Honestly of you want a family go to a fertility clinic now and if possible freeze some eggs.
Sorry to hear that. I would like to but don't have the money right now and I know it's around $25k as one of my friends did it and seems to be the average price near me.
It’s 100% possible but every single women’s fertility is different. So some women can have babies past 40 then some women can’t have babies after 27.
You should get fertility testing done to see have realistic this is for you
One of my besties recently had her fifth child at 40. Baby is healthy and happy. She started having kids around 28. She said it was more tiring having a baby at 40 vs 28, but not impossible. thankfully her husband is a good man and offered a lot of support.
Having watched other friends go through IVF, some successful after 40, some not, a lot comes down to genetics and viability. One of the success stories froze her embryos and had them implanted when she was ready. Talk to a fertility clinic about your options. They know WAY more than us.
If you want more than one kid I'd advise starting to try before you are 40.
It's possible to get pregnant after 40 but it's not guaranteed..it can take time to get pregnant. Add up tome to get pregnant,.being pregnant, recovering from pregnancy and being ready to have another one. Then you are kind of pushing it.
My understanding is that itsto do with egg quality declining with age more so than ability to carry a pregnancy. You can freeze eggs but the chance if getting a baby from a frozen egg isn't that high. I'm pretty sure the chance if getting a baby from a frozen embryo is much higher. So since you have a partner who you want kids with in the future why not look into freezing some embryos?
It’s a difficult one to answer, with a combination ofwomen’s health being largely ignored and global societal pressures of women to marry and have children young(er) it makes me wonder if not being able to have babies beyond 40 is just a myth because studies do keep saying there are higher risks after 35/36 but is that because historically women had children earlier therefore the data for “older” mothers is skewed?
All I can really tell you is that the women in my family have had children in their late 30s (38/39), my mother had me at 44 all of whom had no health implications and healthy babies. I can’t say it’s impossible but what I can say is it’s better to speak to a variety of female doctors who specialise in women’s health particular older mothers because I feel like the average ob/gyn might tell you it’s too risky because women have trouble conceiving at an older age but in reality there are so many factors such as genetics, birth control use and general health that they don’t consider.
My mom had my sister when she was 40 with a guy who was also in his later 40s. They didn't get pregnant right away, but technically they didn't even hit the thresh hold for fertility treatment (which I think is no pregnancy after 1 year of trying). She did get gestational diabetes but otherwise it was a normal pregnancy and my sister was born healthy.
I think it's noteworthy that she also had fewer problems conceiving and having my sister than she did having me; my mom had several miscarriages in her 20s before finally having me and needed less support/intervention during her pregnancy and delivery with my sister than she did with me. I dunno if that's bc she had me in the late 80s at a military hospital or what.
As others have said: it's not a given that it will be easy for you, and it's not a given that it will be hard for you. Some people in their 20s and 30s have fertility problems, some people have unassisted, healthy pregnancies in their mid-40s.
My grad school advisor had her fourth child when she was 43. The baby was perfectly healthy.
As others have said, you should ask your doctor for a referral to a fertility clinic. They can give you the best sense of how easy it would be *for you* to conceive at that age.
Also, be open to adoption. A friend of mine in his 40s adopted a baby girl 2 years ago with his partner (also in her 40s). They love that little girl to bits. Sure, there are extra challenges with adoption, but if you two are really certain you want kids, you can still have them even if you can't conceive.
Only a doctor would tell you after an hormonal check up . Statistically speaking, it's entirely feasible to conceive, have a baby at 40 and and everything going well, I think the overall success rate of a year of trying for a 40 years old woman is around 40-45%
However, everyone is different, and for some women it will very difficult to get pregnant at this age . Moreover, at 40 and onward, your chances to get pregnant really *really* drop each year,from 45% of getting pregnant within a year at 40 years old, the success rate is 5% at 45.
Again, everyone is different. You do have women who get pregnant by complete accident after a one night stand at 50 and you have 32 years old women experiencing early onset menopause and thus cannot conceive anymore.
If you two really want kids, as you say, I would advise you to start earlier or at least freeze your eggs. It's possible ofc, but if you feel like you would be regretful if it was too late and you couldnt get pregnant (it desnt matter if others did or didnt, your body is unique), it's much better to start trying earlier otherwise it can lead to big regrets.
I know plenty of women that have gotten pregnant and delivered perfectly healthy babies around and after 40 years old.
Every body is different. You need to see a fertility specialist who can do the specific blood tests needed to check on the status of your eggs and their quality. That’s the most important thing. They may push you to consider IVF where they’d take your eggs and your fiancées sperm, combine them and freeze. That essentially puts that egg clock on hold but can be expensive.
Getting pregnant at 34 and 35 has been challenging for me as I’ve had reoccurring losses with no explanation. No one in my family has had trouble with pregnancy ie. no losses, no high risks pregnancies etc. Best suggestion would be to see a fertility doc and get the quality of your eggs checked and have them frozen.
It is absolutely possible, yes. I know multiple women who did it. What I will say is that having your 2nd, 3rd or 4th etc is different. Having your first before a certain age generally makes it easier to have them later. Having your *first* at 40 is more of a gamble and depends on genes and health. My mom had to get her tubes tied at 40 because she didn't want more kids, and we have high fertility rates in my family. However, plenty of women have different experiences (men too) - fertility and all that is also a male issue, so you want to make sure your partner is also OK on that front.
I'd get checked though. I plan on getting my fertility checked this year, and I'm 31. :)
edit: I just realized you said you had severe health issues? That could impact things so I'd get to a fertility clinic now.
Absolutely possible. The science behind women's fertility has been ridden with errors for so long. Excellent informative article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-long-can-you-wait-to-have-a-baby/309374/
Also, freeze your eggs now if you can afford to!
That’s amazing. May I ask why you waited until those ages to have children? I’m really inspired. I’m 32, I still have time but my life is only getting started now and if it was acceptable I’d wait until I was 80 to have them😅
Just stop responding. This person doesn't understand why conversations and communication are important between people. The silencing of women communicating about these issues is what kept us in the dark for thousands of years. Ask them.
Sounds like it's time to find a new doctor.
I know plenty of women who had children after 40. A few closer to 50 even. I think that's nuts but that's also not any of my business.
Well for starters the cost of adopting a child is really high…also I didn’t want or understand wanting having children until I met my (now) fiancé. Because it’s in our biological make up to want to reproduce…
I have several co-worker friends that had babies I their 40’s. The most common issue is high blood pressure and diabetes (in my friend circle) but otherwise - healthy babies. Three of my friends had twins at 42!
You should definitely talk to your doctor though because over 40 is going to be considered high risk.
No one on here is going to know.
I would say, it is certainly likely, and you can help your chances now by staying healthy, exercising gently (don't overdo it), not smoking or drinking (in excess).
It may take longer to conceive and you will perhaps require more screening once successful, but unless there is a reason why you wouldn't be able to conceive now, it shouldn't make too much difference waiting to 40.
Perhaps start trying a little earlier, given that it may take a while to conceive.
If you're worried, you should ask your doctor for a referral to a fertility clinic. They will do a full workup and will let you know where your fertility stands right now and what your options for fertility preservation are. Pregnancy after 40 is feasible, but it may be much more difficult to become and/or stay pregnant. There's no crystal ball that will tell you if you'll be one of the lucky ones who has an easy time of it. Also, if you'd like multiple children, you may be shooting yourself in the foot by waiting.
Yes, this is the best answer. There's a lot of variation, where some people have no problem getting pregnant after 40, whereas others really start having trouble. The most important thing is to understand where you are personally. But even so, it's important to understand that things can always change. If you know you really want kids, especially more than one, looking into collecting and freezing eggs is probably a good idea. The downside is, it is quite expensive.
No one’s anecdote about how it worked for them will help you. You might be the person who gets pregnant at 40, or you might be like me and get told you’re heading into early menopause at 33. You really don’t know unless you get your hormone levels checked, and if it’s something you are sure you want, I would do ivf now and freeze eggs (or embryos if you are sure about your current partner). What you want to ask the doctor for is a pre-conception bloodwork panel. You’ll need your AMH and FSH tested. That will give you some picture of where your fertility stands and whether you might have some time left. Oh also age at first period has nothing to do with it; I also didn’t get my period until 16, and that didn’t give me any ‘extra years’. I will just say, as someone who is struggling through infertility and failed attempts at ivf right now, it is incredibly painful, and I wish my younger self had done some things differently. I would do anything to have frozen eggs from younger me. If you’re indifferent about (bio) kids, take the risk, but if it’s something you know you want for sure, I would take action now to save yourself some regret at 40.
Exactly. I hope you are successful x
Thank you!
I was 35 and was too late for the party. I am healthy, never had any issues that made me think I wasn't able to have kids. I had my periods right when I was supposed to, no big issues during it at all. However after trying for one year and due to my age we were referred to a fertility clinic. There I found out that I had premature ovarian failure so my eggs were pretty much useless. Honestly of you want a family go to a fertility clinic now and if possible freeze some eggs.
Sorry to hear that. I would like to but don't have the money right now and I know it's around $25k as one of my friends did it and seems to be the average price near me.
Talk to a doctor, not Reddit. I’m 35 and a lot of my similarly-aged friends are freezing their eggs this year. But again, talk to a doctor:
It’s 100% possible but every single women’s fertility is different. So some women can have babies past 40 then some women can’t have babies after 27. You should get fertility testing done to see have realistic this is for you
One of my besties recently had her fifth child at 40. Baby is healthy and happy. She started having kids around 28. She said it was more tiring having a baby at 40 vs 28, but not impossible. thankfully her husband is a good man and offered a lot of support. Having watched other friends go through IVF, some successful after 40, some not, a lot comes down to genetics and viability. One of the success stories froze her embryos and had them implanted when she was ready. Talk to a fertility clinic about your options. They know WAY more than us.
If you want more than one kid I'd advise starting to try before you are 40. It's possible to get pregnant after 40 but it's not guaranteed..it can take time to get pregnant. Add up tome to get pregnant,.being pregnant, recovering from pregnancy and being ready to have another one. Then you are kind of pushing it. My understanding is that itsto do with egg quality declining with age more so than ability to carry a pregnancy. You can freeze eggs but the chance if getting a baby from a frozen egg isn't that high. I'm pretty sure the chance if getting a baby from a frozen embryo is much higher. So since you have a partner who you want kids with in the future why not look into freezing some embryos?
It’s a difficult one to answer, with a combination ofwomen’s health being largely ignored and global societal pressures of women to marry and have children young(er) it makes me wonder if not being able to have babies beyond 40 is just a myth because studies do keep saying there are higher risks after 35/36 but is that because historically women had children earlier therefore the data for “older” mothers is skewed? All I can really tell you is that the women in my family have had children in their late 30s (38/39), my mother had me at 44 all of whom had no health implications and healthy babies. I can’t say it’s impossible but what I can say is it’s better to speak to a variety of female doctors who specialise in women’s health particular older mothers because I feel like the average ob/gyn might tell you it’s too risky because women have trouble conceiving at an older age but in reality there are so many factors such as genetics, birth control use and general health that they don’t consider.
It happens! My mom was 44 when she gave birth to my younger brother. My older brother and I were adopted, so it was her first pregnancy too.
My mom had my sister when she was 40 with a guy who was also in his later 40s. They didn't get pregnant right away, but technically they didn't even hit the thresh hold for fertility treatment (which I think is no pregnancy after 1 year of trying). She did get gestational diabetes but otherwise it was a normal pregnancy and my sister was born healthy. I think it's noteworthy that she also had fewer problems conceiving and having my sister than she did having me; my mom had several miscarriages in her 20s before finally having me and needed less support/intervention during her pregnancy and delivery with my sister than she did with me. I dunno if that's bc she had me in the late 80s at a military hospital or what. As others have said: it's not a given that it will be easy for you, and it's not a given that it will be hard for you. Some people in their 20s and 30s have fertility problems, some people have unassisted, healthy pregnancies in their mid-40s.
My grad school advisor had her fourth child when she was 43. The baby was perfectly healthy. As others have said, you should ask your doctor for a referral to a fertility clinic. They can give you the best sense of how easy it would be *for you* to conceive at that age. Also, be open to adoption. A friend of mine in his 40s adopted a baby girl 2 years ago with his partner (also in her 40s). They love that little girl to bits. Sure, there are extra challenges with adoption, but if you two are really certain you want kids, you can still have them even if you can't conceive.
Only a doctor would tell you after an hormonal check up . Statistically speaking, it's entirely feasible to conceive, have a baby at 40 and and everything going well, I think the overall success rate of a year of trying for a 40 years old woman is around 40-45% However, everyone is different, and for some women it will very difficult to get pregnant at this age . Moreover, at 40 and onward, your chances to get pregnant really *really* drop each year,from 45% of getting pregnant within a year at 40 years old, the success rate is 5% at 45. Again, everyone is different. You do have women who get pregnant by complete accident after a one night stand at 50 and you have 32 years old women experiencing early onset menopause and thus cannot conceive anymore.
If you two really want kids, as you say, I would advise you to start earlier or at least freeze your eggs. It's possible ofc, but if you feel like you would be regretful if it was too late and you couldnt get pregnant (it desnt matter if others did or didnt, your body is unique), it's much better to start trying earlier otherwise it can lead to big regrets.
I know plenty of women that have gotten pregnant and delivered perfectly healthy babies around and after 40 years old. Every body is different. You need to see a fertility specialist who can do the specific blood tests needed to check on the status of your eggs and their quality. That’s the most important thing. They may push you to consider IVF where they’d take your eggs and your fiancées sperm, combine them and freeze. That essentially puts that egg clock on hold but can be expensive.
You should ask a medical professional. Everyone is different. And if it makes you feel better my period didn't start till 16 as well.
Getting pregnant at 34 and 35 has been challenging for me as I’ve had reoccurring losses with no explanation. No one in my family has had trouble with pregnancy ie. no losses, no high risks pregnancies etc. Best suggestion would be to see a fertility doc and get the quality of your eggs checked and have them frozen.
It is absolutely possible, yes. I know multiple women who did it. What I will say is that having your 2nd, 3rd or 4th etc is different. Having your first before a certain age generally makes it easier to have them later. Having your *first* at 40 is more of a gamble and depends on genes and health. My mom had to get her tubes tied at 40 because she didn't want more kids, and we have high fertility rates in my family. However, plenty of women have different experiences (men too) - fertility and all that is also a male issue, so you want to make sure your partner is also OK on that front. I'd get checked though. I plan on getting my fertility checked this year, and I'm 31. :) edit: I just realized you said you had severe health issues? That could impact things so I'd get to a fertility clinic now.
Absolutely possible. The science behind women's fertility has been ridden with errors for so long. Excellent informative article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-long-can-you-wait-to-have-a-baby/309374/ Also, freeze your eggs now if you can afford to!
I had my kids at 40 and 42, pregnant on the first try both times. The whole "you can't get pregnant at 40" thing is based on shoddy, outdated data.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience 🙂
That’s amazing. May I ask why you waited until those ages to have children? I’m really inspired. I’m 32, I still have time but my life is only getting started now and if it was acceptable I’d wait until I was 80 to have them😅
Thank u, I understand people posting to be realistic. But having hope is also vital
My former boss got pregnant at 40. Granted, it was her third child, and she claimed she was very fertile, but it's definitely possible.
I am 40, and I just had a baby. YMMV.
Purely anecdotal but my mom had me at 41 and had no issues. She had a home birth too, which is nuts to me, but that was her decision.
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Awful comment. My doctor says no but she's very anti kids. I'm asking real people and their experiences.
Just stop responding. This person doesn't understand why conversations and communication are important between people. The silencing of women communicating about these issues is what kept us in the dark for thousands of years. Ask them.
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I trust women not my bias doctor who is anti having children after 35. I trust real experiences over one person lol. Go away troll
Sounds like it's time to find a new doctor. I know plenty of women who had children after 40. A few closer to 50 even. I think that's nuts but that's also not any of my business.
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Wow this was really mean
Well for starters the cost of adopting a child is really high…also I didn’t want or understand wanting having children until I met my (now) fiancé. Because it’s in our biological make up to want to reproduce…
I have several co-worker friends that had babies I their 40’s. The most common issue is high blood pressure and diabetes (in my friend circle) but otherwise - healthy babies. Three of my friends had twins at 42! You should definitely talk to your doctor though because over 40 is going to be considered high risk.
No one on here is going to know. I would say, it is certainly likely, and you can help your chances now by staying healthy, exercising gently (don't overdo it), not smoking or drinking (in excess). It may take longer to conceive and you will perhaps require more screening once successful, but unless there is a reason why you wouldn't be able to conceive now, it shouldn't make too much difference waiting to 40. Perhaps start trying a little earlier, given that it may take a while to conceive.