Advanced maternal age doesn’t have to end your dream of motherhood

Welcoming a healthy baby is an option for many women of advanced maternal age at our Indianapolis fertility clinic. Women who are 35 or older receive this designation, as age can significantly affect a woman’s fertility.

When a woman is born, she has one to two million eggs. This number drops to around 300,000 by the time she hits puberty, and steadily declines as she ages. However, this reduced egg count does not mean a woman cannot conceive and become a mother, especially when she relies on one of our fertility specialists.

The facts about advanced maternal age pregnancy

When a woman is 35 or over, there are a variety of factors that can affect her ability to conceive. As such, the doctors at our Indianapolis fertility clinic use a variety of diagnostic tests. These tests help us determine whether there are any age-related fertility issues.

Lower egg quality and quantity. A primary reproductive outcome of advanced maternal age is that a woman’s ability to conceive can decrease. This decrease occurs because the woman’s egg quality and quantity diminish. For example, a healthy 30-year-old has a 20% chance of conceiving each month. By the time she reaches the age of 40, she has less than a 5% chance.

Chromosomal abnormalities. As women age, there is a higher chance of the eggs having chromosomal abnormalities. Eggs with too many, or too few, chromosomes could prevent an embryo from implanting or could lead to a miscarriage.

After the fertility specialists at our clinic discover a woman’s unique fertility challenges, they work with her to develop a customized treatment plan that can help bypass these issues.

Find hope with highly effective fertility treatments

Our clinic offers a variety of treatments that can help women 35 and over fulfill the dream of motherhood. These treatments utilize leading-edge technology.

IVF with PGT-A. In vitro fertilization (IVF) with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) helps us ensure that the doctor only transfers a healthy embryo to a woman’s uterus during an IVF cycle. This is a beneficial option for women of advanced maternal age, as it helps prevent chromosomal abnormalities from affecting the development and health of the pregnancy.

Egg donation. If the fertility specialist determines that a woman doesn’t have eggs that are likely to result in a healthy pregnancy, they might recommend egg donation. Utilizing donor eggs is an incredibly effective option that our team can help women navigate.

Women can rest assured that all donor candidates go through comprehensive medical, legal and psychological counseling, in addition to thorough testing for genetic, psychological and physical health abnormalities.

The team at our Indianapolis fertility clinic understands how challenging it can be to face fertility issues due to age. We’re here to support you each step of the way, from receiving the right diagnosis, to taking home a healthy baby.