Fertility treatment options for over 40s

Although some women are born with an intrinsic desire to have children, it can take others a little longer to get used to the idea of motherhood. In fact, many women don’t find themselves pining for a child until their late thirties or forties. However no experienced mummy can deny that when the overpowering urge to have a little baby takes hold, it’s difficult to think about anything else. Are you aged 40 plus? From IVF treatment and genetic testing to donor eggs, it’s not too late to have a baby. Discover the various fertility methods on offer and you could be planning that baby shower in a matter of weeks. IVF IVF is a series of procedures which are conducted in what is known as a ‘treatment cycle’. Using hormone therapy to stimulate the development of follicles in the ovary, IVF seeks to collect and fertilise eggs in a test tube to create embryos. The embryos spend up to a week in an incubator before being carefully examined using a high-tech grading system. The strongest embryos are selected to be transferred through the vagina to the uterus where this transfer will hopefully spark a pregnancy. Although success rates do dip with age, women up to the age of 50 have the choice of going ahead with IVF treatment using their own eggs. IVF with Genetic Testing It is a proven fact that the rate of genetic abnormalities and defects in eggs and embryos increases with age and up to 90% of pregnancies will encounter abnormalities over the age of 44. These findings are mostly clearly shown in the growing risk of Down’s syndrome which is observed in older mothers. Genetic testing is a sure fire way to plan for any eventuality. The test offers the most sophisticated techniques of aneuploidy screening and may be particularly useful for older women, or women who have had a previously unsuccessful IVF experience. Genetic testing can be used to: •Identify any chromosome abnormalities •Conduct genetic tests relating to infertility •Screen for over 100 of the most ubiquitous diseases •Improve pregnancy and live birth rates because only the embryos with normal chromosome arrangements will be chosen for transfer •Determine whether or not embryos are abnormal, enabling the patient to make an important decision about transfer and further treatment IVF with Donor Eggs IVF using donor eggs is the most common method of fertility treatment when the patient has none of her own eggs to use. This situation can often be attributed to the ovaries store of follicles running out due to old age. One of the most telling signs of menopause is irregular or non-existent periods at which point donor eggs may need to be considered. From collaborations with overseas clinics to donor eggs from IVF patients with resources to spare, your chosen fertility clinic will be able to provide you with a number of donor egg solutions should you want to pursue this option. Article: 15th February 2014 by The Bridge Centre Author Note: The Bridge Centre are a team of fertility experts based in South East London, specialising in fertility for the over 40s. Offering a wide range of fertility treatments to women under and over the age of 40, contact The Bridge Centre today to kick start your journey to motherhood.