Women over 40
Many women over 40 will find it difficult to get pregnant naturally, which is where we can help
We have a great track record of helping women over 40 achieve their dream of starting a family
Many women over 40 will find it difficult to get pregnant naturally, which is where we can help
We have a great track record of helping women over 40 achieve their dream of starting a family
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Getting pregnant after 40
Women are born with a finite number of eggs (estimated at 1-2 million eggs). However, as they age, both the number of eggs, and the quality of those eggs declines. This is reflected in the drop in AMH levels women experience. This starts to happen from age 30, and at age 35 this speed of decline increases. At age 40, the chance of getting pregnant naturally each month is just 5%.
We understand that making a decision about when to expand your family isn’t always straight-forward. Women over 40 often feel more ready to start a family, and have more financial stability and an established career. However, getting pregnant over 40 can come with challenges, which is why fertility testing is a good place to start. Read our tips for getting pregnant in your 40s.
IVF after 40
Women over the age of 40 tend to find it more difficult to get pregnant naturally as a result of age-related decline in fertility. Conceiving also comes with a higher risk of miscarriage, chromosomal abnormalities, and birth complications. That being said, we are able to help navigate these obstacles with the help of IVF, and other advanced conception techniques.
We have helped many couples and individuals in their 40s have happy and healthy babies – many of whom had been told there was no hope of getting pregnant.
Recurrent IVF failure and recurrent miscarriage
It takes a lot of courage to experience repeated miscarriages, and to undergo IVF only to have it fail for unexplained reasons. We understand the frustration and heartache of being told there is no reason for it.
We specialise in cases where patients have been told there is no explanation. We offer a full range of in-depth tests to isolate problems causing implantation failure or pregnancy loss. These tests can be largely grouped into:
This is a type of test that is carried out to check the chromosomes of both partners to exclude the possibility of issues caused by chromosomal rearrangement. If issues are detected, we can test any embryos and only select the normal ones for transfer.
When individuals have experienced recurrent miscarriage or implantation failure from IVF, the underlying cause could lie with an abnormality of the uterine cavity. This could be in the form of scar tissue or polyps, for example. To determine if this is causing issues, we can perform a hysteroscopy (also known as an aqua scan) to get a detailed look at the uterus. This will help guide treatment options.
Certain infections (like chlamydia, mycoplasma and ureaplasma) can lie undetected for years as there may not be any obvious symptoms. The trouble is, they can cause an unsuitable environment for embryos or can disrupt the immune system, making it difficult for embryos to survive. With the correct course of treatment, we can overcome this.
The immune system is our body’s natural defence system, but it is thought that the natural killer cells that protect us can go overboard and cause issues with fertility.
Although there is much debate going on in the scientific community about the role of the immune system in preventing healthy pregnancy. There is a view, pioneered by the late Dr Alan E Beer, that the products of an activated immune system could not only damage the placenta and cause miscarriage but damage the embryo, causing implantation failure.
Read the HFEA’s view on immune testing and treatment.
Get in touch today
We have helped many couples achieve their dream of starting a family even after they had been told it was not possible after recurrent miscarriage or failed IVF cycles.
For personalised treatment with attention to detail, call us on 020 7224 1880 or book a consultation online.