Can you get pregnant at 45? Yes, it's possible to get pregnant at 45, though conceiving naturally is unlikely. A woman's prime fertility time is between her late teens and her 20s, and once you reach your mid-30s, your ability to get pregnant starts to decline.
Beyond age 45, there are even more health risks. A recent study that looked at almost 37 million deliveries between 2006 and 2015 showed that women aged 45-54 years have the highest rates of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, postpartum hemorrhage, and hysterectomy—as well as c-section deliveries.
By age 40, a woman's chance drops to less than 5 percent per cycle, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. After the age of 45, getting pregnant naturally (or without the help of fertility treatments) is unlikely for most women.
For most people, estrogen levels begin to fall gradually when they are in their 40s. A person will continue to ovulate and menstruate, but periods may become irregular or less frequent.
By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
Is it dangerous to be pregnant at age 47? "The scientific literature says women do quite well in pregnancy at this age," Grifo said. "But it is a little riskier. There's a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and needing a C-section, all of which are manageable."
Pregnancy in Your 40s
If you get pregnant after 35 years old, experts call this an “advanced maternal age” pregnancy. But it's still possible to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby in your 40s. Childbirth at older ages has become more common too. Since the 1990s, birth rates in people aged 40-44 have gone up.
To casual observers, it's the miracle of my story, and the unlikelihood of my family, that stands out: I got pregnant naturally at 46 after a lifetime of infertility. With that unexpected pregnancy came an unexpected family. And it's true—being pregnant at 46 and becoming a mom is a miracle.
It's entirely possible to get pregnant using your own eggs over 40. Yet, for some people, there seems to be an egg quality or quantity issue that we can't overcome. This is especially true for women over age 43 or 44.
It is true that fertility does decline with age, but many women conceive naturally aged over 40 and go on to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
This is the story of Cecilia, who became a mother to her little Angélica by getting pregnant at the age of 48, even though she had a low ovarian reserve. Meet her here and learn all about the In Vitro fertilization treatment that made it possible for her.
It's harder to stay pregnant
van Dis, women between 40 and 44 have a 33 percent chance of miscarriage. Across all pregnancies, miscarriage risk is believed to be closer to 10 to 20 percent, though estimates can vary.
Brigitte McQueen became a mother at 44.
Still, Ms. McQueen longed for a baby. In her 40s, she and her then husband opted for embryo donation at a fertility clinic in Sacramento. She had her first daughter at 44 and a second at 46.
Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40).
Fish oil supplements are a great way to ensure adequate levels of omega 3s to preserve your fertility and improve egg quality. Research has shown that omega 3 supplementation is a practical and effective way to delay ovarian aging and improve oocyte quality at advanced maternal age.
Irregular period cycle and difficulty conceiving
If you are facing issues conceiving and have not been able to conceive for a while now, it could be one of the signs of bad egg quality.
While some women continue to have regular cycles into their 50s, the number of remaining eggs in the ovaries is greatly diminished with age. This starts before perimenopause. In fact, a woman will have lost almost 90% of her eggs by the time she is 30! While that might be startling, don't let it discourage you.
The level of AMH in the blood can help doctors estimate the total number of follicles inside the ovaries, and therefore a woman's total egg count. Because AMH levels stay basically stable throughout a cycle, the blood test can be performed at any time.
If you're pregnant at 41, 43, or older, you may understandably worry about how your age may impact your pregnancy. Luckily, while the risks of complications are lower in your 20s and 30s, you can have a healthy pregnancy in your 40s, particularly if you are otherwise in good health and get regular prenatal care.
If you are 35 or older, it's likely that what you've read on the internet or heard from friends might make you feel like you waited too long. The truth is, if there is sperm and your body is ovulating, there is a chance you can become pregnant, no matter your age (1-3).
Fertility specialists quote approximately a 5% chance per menstrual cycle of getting pregnant naturally after age 40 vs. a 25% chance per cycle for women in their 20's, which is when fertility typically peaks and you have the best chance of experiencing healthy pregnancies.
Not optimal, but not selfish either
The point here is to look at some of the things which people say are selfish and realize that, while it may not be the “optimal conceiving time” there are plenty of reasons to have a child over forty and those reasons are not by definition selfish.