Getting Pregnant after 40 is becoming more and more common as women are putting off having a baby until later in life. The positive aspect of doing this is that older women tend to be more financially stable, emotionally mature, and they tend to be much more enthusiastic about providing a good life for their future baby. Unfortunately, for women in their 40s, the rate of fertility is drastically reduced when compared to a twenty five year old woman. Age is one component that medical science cannot reverse and it is a major factor in a woman’s fertility cycle. In fact, studies have shown that the chances of getting pregnant after 40 decrease about 3 to 5 percent each year after the age of 30 and once the woman is in her 40s, that number sees a very noticeable jump. However, there are things that you can do to make sure you have the best possible chance of getting pregnant after 40. You must also make sure that you understand your fertility cycle.

A very common cause of infertility in women is polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. Essentially, it is a hormonal imbalance that can cause make your ovulation cycles irregular or make you not ovulate altogether. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cite that about ten percent of women of childbearing age has PCOS so you are not alone. The common treatment for PCOS is eating a healthy diet, regular exercise, and if you are smoker, quit smoking. These are all things that you will want to do anyway but if you are diagnosed with PCOS, this is especially important. In fact, it has been shown that losing even ten pounds can balance your hormone levels to the point where your  getting pregnant after 40 so there real benefits to losing weight when trying to getting pregnant after 40. Though there is no known cure for PCOS, it is manageable and many women have gotten pregnant despite having PCOS so do not lose hope.

For women and couples that are having difficulty getting pregnant after 40, stress can be an ever-present factor but stress can also be a major factor in contributing to your infertility. This stress can then wreck havoc on your ovulation which is crucial to the whole process. Though living a stress-free life is not realistic, especially when you are dealing with getting pregnant after 40, there are things that you can do to manage your stress level. The American Society of Reproductive Medicine lists techniques and options that mitigate your stress during this trying period in your life such as keeping the lines of communication open with your partner, exercising regularly to decrease your tension, cutting down on stimulants such as caffeine, and educating yourself on all of your options so you know when you can expect. It seems cruel that stress can contribute to your infertility yet it is a highly stressful situation when confronting your infertility. Despite this, knowing that you are not alone can be a huge emotional boost so seeking out emotional support in the form of a support group or therapist can be very beneficial when getting pregnant after 40.

 

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