Trying to get pregnant after 35 may seem difficult but isn’t impossible! We cannot deny the fact that age is a very crucial factor when it comes to conceiving. According to medical terms, a woman is said to be in an advanced maternal age after she crosses 35.
As compared to the old times, girls these days want to take their time to start a family. These days’ girls prefer completing their education, becoming financially independent, and finding the right partner. They are not in a hurry to have a kid only because of societal pressure.
You might have people around you saying that it gets difficult to conceive after your 30’s. Some complications might be experienced but it is not impossible to conceive.
Why does your fertility decline?
A girl is known to be in her reproductive prime during her 20’s. Being busy and caught up in life, girls these days hardly think of having a baby at this age. Generally, they are in their 30’s when they realize this which is a bit late as the fertility during this age starts declining.
Trying to get pregnant after 35 gets hard because of various factors; Let me explain why this happens in simple words, you are born with all your fertile eggs which are around 1-2 million. These are the number of eggs you’ll have throughout your life. By the time of puberty, already half of the eggs are lost. The remaining eggs will reduce too as you get old. Also, as you age so does your eggs. Older eggs are lesser fertile which further again decreases your chances of conceiving.
Getting pregnant after 35 statistics
Various studies have been conducted and statistics have been gathered under several conditions to test fertility and the chance of getting pregnant after 35. Almost all the studies have given or shown overall almost similar results. According to statistics the conceiving pattern of different ages can be studied as:
- From age 20 to 29: Now, this is the prime fertility age where your chance of conceiving is almost 90% within a year of trying with a miscarriage rate of only 5-10%.
- From 30 to 35: This age group still has chances of conceiving within a year but the chances drop to 80-85 with the increase in the chance of miscarriage by 20%.
- After 35: Once a woman crosses 35, it gets quite difficult to conceive naturally. The chance of getting pregnant after 35 within a year lowers to 70-75%. It may also take longer than a year and you should consult a doctor for the same. The worst part is the chance of miscarriage increases tremendously in this age women. Also, due to the quality of eggs not being so good the chances of abnormal pregnancy increases too.
Getting pregnant after 35 with second child
Many couples plan for a second child in their late 30’s. Couples generally think that getting pregnant after 35 with a second child won’t be an issue since they have already conceived once. Now, what I would like to say is that having conceived once does not guarantee to conceive again without any complexity.
Most of the time parents plan a second child when the age of the mother has already crossed the prime fertile period. Trying to conceive at this age is onerous.
If you’ve been trying to get pregnant after 35 for more than 6 months with no success, then consulting your doctor is the best option. Your doctor might run a few tests and determine the underlying problem. Although various reasons might be blocking you from conceiving, some of them are:
- Age: The most obvious and common reason is your age causing obstructions in your pregnancy. Women in their mid to late 30’s find it difficult to conceive as the age of the egg as do you. Also, with growing age, a lot of hormonal and other changes occur in the body directly or indirectly impacting your chance of conceiving.
- Drinking too much alcohol or smoking: Most of you must be already knowing the impact of alcohol or smoking on unborn babies during pregnancy. Excess of these habits not only hinder your fertility but might also cause serious health issues in the newborn child.
- Low sperm count: The problem not only lies with women all the time. Sometimes it is your partner who is the cause of concern. The age of a man also affects sperm quality and quantity. Testes exposed to excessive heat also decreases the sperm count. Your doctor may also run some tests on your partner.
You should always consult your doctor to know the real reason. It isn’t like it is an impossible task; It might take longer than usual but stressing about it will only make things worse for both of you.
Is it difficult to get pregnant after 35?
One of the most frequently asked questions is if it is difficult to get pregnant after 35. Now, as I have already said it gets difficult to conceive after this age because your eggs are not much fertile. The chance of conceiving “naturally” decreases tremendously after the age of 35. There are however other methods that can be used to have a child such as insemination. You can even opt for home insemination with home insemination kits easily available online.
Getting pregnant after 35 risks
Most women stay healthy and deliver healthy babies even in their 30’s. However, the risk of developing some problems and facing some snags are also more common at this age. Due to the changes in your body and less fertility after 35 certain risk factors need to be considered before planning to conceive. Although, you should always consult your doctor if you face any complications or issues in conceiving; here are certain risks you might experience:
- Miscarriages: Miscarriage is one of the most common issues faced by women trying to get pregnant after 35. The reason being the aged and less fertile cells. The chances of miscarriage rise to 35-40% after you cross 35.
- Birth defects: Down syndrome is one of the most common chromosome disorders which a child is likely to develop. Younger mothers have a meagre chance of producing a baby with such defects but older mothers have a greater risk factor to produce babies with birth defects.
- Premature birth: Women above 35 or in their 40’s are more likely to deliver their baby prematurely as compared to women delivering in their 20’s. The normal pregnancy time is 40 weeks. A baby born before 37 weeks is said to be a premature baby. Also, this leads to other complications like low body weight of the baby.
- Labor complications: Many women above the age of 35 have often complained of facing snags during their labor and delivery. This includes placenta problems and risky bleeding during delivery.
- Risks on mothers’ health: Not only late pregnancy affects the child but may also lead to life-long problems in the mother’s health. High blood pressure is often complained about by expecting mothers. These health issues can also further lead to complications in the child’s growth or may even lead to miscarriage.
There is no guarantee that young mothers do not face any of these issues, the chance of getting exposed to such complications is higher in the women trying to get pregnant after 35. Although the risks are existent, most of them can be controlled. If you take proper nutrition and care of yourself the chances of these risks can be reduced. You should consult your doctor at the earliest if you face any issues.
How to get pregnant after 35?
Artificial Insemination
When you discuss your infertility issues with your doctor, a lot of chances are that he/she might suggest artificial insemination. Most of you must be aware of the process of insemination which is vividly used to help women conceive. Insemination is a method by which a man’s sperm is directly inserted into a women’s cervix or uterus. The most commonly used method is called Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). In this process, the sperm is inserted directly into the uterus. The sperm used in this process is more concentrated which increases the likelihood of conceiving. An IUI sperm can also be used for home insemination. Single mothers can also conceive by using sperm from a sperm bank.
How home insemination help women to get pregnant after 35
A lot of factors affecting your fertility can be solved by the process of home insemination. Most of the couples find it simple and accessible. To conceive a man’s sperm is required to travel up the vagina passing cervix to the uterus and finally to the fallopian tube where the egg is fertilized. This process can sometimes not find success due to one of the underlying reasons which can be cured by artificial insemination:
- Sometimes a man’s sperm is not mobile enough to complete the process. Sperm mobility is a common issue in male infertility. Another possible reason for a man’s infertility is low sperm count. In either case, insemination can help. By using the process of home insemination, sperm is directly planted so it does not require travelling and completing the long passage increasing the chance of conceiving.
- When it comes to female infertility, sometimes women may have a reproductive organ issue like a woman’s cervix may not be ready to let the sperm travel to the uterus or the eggs are too old to conceive causing the problem. By using the process of artificial insemination at home, the chances of the egg getting fertilized increases. Your doctor may suggest artificial insemination if you have been trying unprotected sex for more than 6 months.
Home insemination kit
As already discussed insemination is a rather simple and easy process that can be performed at home. Most couples prefer performing it at home with the comforts they want. Many companies produce home insemination kits which are widely available for use by anyone. Also, I suggest, “V Conceive Home insemination kit” as it maintains the required standards and is easy to use. By using a home insemination kit, you can try to conceive as many times as you want. However, if you’ve been failing in these attempts it is better to consult a doctor to understand the reason for your infertility.
A home insemination kit consists of a sterile syringe, a container for sterilized semen container, and a vaginal pipette. These kits are available online or at medical stores. These can be readily used if you plan to carry the insemination at home but make sure you consult your gynaecologist before performing.
How to perform insemination at home
Now, that you have decided to carry the process at home according to your convenience; here are the steps to follow:
- Plan the time you would like to carry the process according to your ovulation cycle. Make sure you perform it only when you are ovulating.
- Collect the semen in a sterilized container or cup.
- Take the insemination syringe and remove the vacuum from it. After that, fill the syringe with semen and pop out the air bubbles if any produced by tapping the sides of the syringe. Try to collect as much semen as you can.
- Sit in a comfortable position; you may use pillows or cushions to add extra comfort.
- Now inject the semen via insemination syringe in your vagina very slowly.
- Stay in that position for at least 30 minutes so that the sperm reach the egg.
- Make sure you wash your hands and prevent any type of contamination.
Are there any side effects?
There are not any serious side effects encountered by taking up the process of artificial insemination at home. However, some women may complain about cramps or bleeding following the process. But in most cases, no serious side effects are experienced.
You have to make sure the process is sterile causing no chance of infections. If the procedure is not performed in proper sterile conditions the chances of inflammation or infection gets high.
You may also encounter a pelvic infection following the procedure which should be brought in concern of your doctor.
Conclusion
Trying to get pregnant after 35 might be bothersome and time-consuming but it isn’t an absurd task. With so many advancements in medical sciences, there are many methods available now to conceive even in your 40’s. The success rates of such methods are proven and desirable results are fetched in most cases. Artificial insemination has fulfilled the dreams of many couples and single mothers to have a baby. With home insemination being so convenient and accessible, having a baby is not a hitch anymore.
