Due to the natural fertility decline that occurs as you age, your joyous decision to start a family could turn into sadness and frustration. At Fertility & Gynecology Center - Monterey Bay IVF, our team of fertility specialists, led by Dr. Edward J. Ramirez, is here to provide hope and expert guidance as you navigate what can be a challenging time.
In this blog, we’re focusing on the reasons for age-related infertility and available treatment paths. You have more options than you may realize.
Age-related infertility stems from a decrease in both the number and quality of eggs. By age 35, women experience a gradual decline in fertility, and by the time they reach 40, the chances of conceiving naturally decrease to less than 5% each month.
This decline is primarily due to “age-related egg factor,” which involves both the number of eggs remaining and the likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities as those eggs age.
While this can feel discouraging, it’s important to know that only the eggs — not the uterus itself — are affected. That leaves other pathways to pregnancy open.
With advanced infertility treatments, women over 35 still have multiple options through which they can pursue pregnancy.
When treating age-related infertility, we typically begin with a discussion of the pros and cons of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
While IUI is a less invasive option, its success rates for women over 35 are significantly lower. For women 35-39, the success rate is 5-15%. For women 40 and older, the rate drops to around 0.5%.
We always welcome our patients to try IUI, but we take the time to educate them about the success rates relative to IVF, which offers far more hope for pregnancy at older ages.
With IVF, we retrieve multiple eggs at once. Our team uses preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to isolate the healthiest, most viable eggs to use in IVF.
We can also use a process called assisted hatching to increase your odds of a successful pregnancy. In this process, our experienced embryologist creates a tiny opening in the embryo, which increases its odds of hatching.
This method is very helpful for women dealing with age-related infertility (and also for younger women with multiple failed IVF cycles). Many studies show that assisted hatching may increase pregnancy rates significantly.
Choosing IVF versus IUI at age 40 increases odds of pregnancy to about 33% per cycle. Delivery rates are lower due to miscarriage, but still far higher than without IVF.
The bottom line: If your ovaries still produce healthy eggs, you have a good chance of achieving pregnancy with help from our high-tech infertility treatment approaches if you’re 35-40, or even after age 40.
But, you might ask, “What if I don’t have healthy eggs?” Not to worry; we can help there, too.
If your own eggs aren’t healthy or you’ve had multiple failed IVF cycles using your own eggs, donor eggs could be a great option to consider. With egg donation through a reputable agency, you get to hand-pick the egg donor.
This option gives you the benefit of high quality, healthy eggs to use in IVF. Often you can choose eggs from “proven” donors whose prior donations have resulted in pregnancies and live births.
To develop the best treatment plan, we start with a series of tests to assess ovarian function. Blood tests help us understand your ovarian reserve and predict how well your ovaries will respond to fertility treatments.
Additionally, a transvaginal ultrasound evaluates your uterus and follicle count, providing critical insight into your fertility potential.
After that, we discuss all the options and take the time to understand your personal wishes and perspective before helping you develop the treatment plan for your individual needs.
While age-related infertility presents unique challenges, many treatment options are available to help you grow your family. We are here to provide hope. Call our office in Monterey, California, today or send us a message, and we can explore your options together.
