Mom 40 years old ++ Because it’s never too late!

Gyn Care IVF describes with honesty and scientific experience everything you need to know about motherhood after 40.

Disadvantages and Advantages as well as tips for the journey of parenthood over the age of 40.
Having children at an older age is becoming more and more common in our time and the reasons may differ from woman to woman. Social and economic conditions with the most common one education, career, not finding a suitable partner, the choice to live alone or simply the lack of readiness, may be important for this situation.
It is a common belief that a woman’s life was organized in such way that often there is not the necessary space, time and thought to have a child before 40.
The National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction (NAMAR) recognizing the requirement for adaptation to modern reality recently advised the Ministry of Health and instituted with Law 4812/2021 the increase of the age limit to the age of 52 years.

Mom 40 years old:

Disadvantages:

• Mom just before Menopause

A woman’s ability to reproduce is completed when she enters menopause, ie the final cessation of her period. But before this phase, the woman is in climacteric, where the menstrual cycles become irregular and the period varies until it finally stops completely. The duration of menopause varies from woman to woman, ranging from 2 to 10 years.
A woman usually goes into menopause after 48-50 years. Even during menopause, a woman theoretically ovulates, so she can get pregnant with her own eggs, but with reduced chances. As a woman gets older, the ovarian egg reserve decreases, the quality of the eggs decreases and the chances of fetuses with a chromosomal abnormality increase.
After the age of 42, conceiving a healthy baby and successfully completing a pregnancy usually require some method of assisting reproduction.

• Protocols for stimulation and induction of ovulation

Assisted reproduction / IVF involves the use of drugs to stimulate the ovaries or prepare the endometrium to maximize the chances of conception. However, the response of the ovaries to drugs depends directly on the age of the woman.
The age factor plays a crucial role in the chances of success in an IVF attempt. Statistics capture reality with an IVF success rate ranging from 13% to 18% at 40-44 (SART / CDC Report on Live Birth Rates) and less than 3% since the woman is 44, always with her own eggs.

• Risk of miscarriage and Complications of pregnancy

Pregnancy at an advanced reproductive age definitely has a higher risk. The most common complications include preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, premature birth, restriction of intrauterine growth and a variety of other risks.
The risk of miscarriage increases with age and after 45 years the rate can reach 50%. Of course, it is not only the age that affects the success of pregnancy. In general, age-related changes affect the body by reducing the function of hormones and the uterus.

Advantages:

• Experienced and self- conscious Mom.

At this age the woman is more mature, wiser and more aware, ready to accept and take on the responsibility of raising a child.
Statistics are also present here, proving from studies that women over 40 are more patient with their children and raise them more carefully.
Usually during the years, women do not get pregnant by chance. This is a conscious step and they are fully prepared for it. Therefore, they are more stable emotionally and psychologically, so that they seem ready for the changes that come with pregnancy and the birth of a child.

• Full of carefree moments and settled professionally.

By this age, most women have enjoyed life without children, stayed out late, travelled and are ready for the commitment that accompanies the birth and upbringing of a baby. In addition, their careers are settled so they can spend more time raising their child.

• Pregnancy Hormones = Natural Lifting.

Finally, pregnancy hormones work in the female body beneficially, acting like a super facelift! The skin becomes softer and more radiant, the hair thicker, the mood is impressively explosive!

In order everything to work out, Gyn Care IVF suggests:

• Complete check-up of the expectant mother’s health.

Medical examinations performed on a woman before IVF should not be limited to the procedure but also a general check-up of her health. For instance, it is necessary to check the function of the thyroid gland, an extensive breast test,checking of the heart and blood pressure, especially in the case that borrowed ova will be used.
In addition, Pap smears and vaginal fluid cultures should be performed before starting treatment, as well as a blood sugar / insulin test and general blood tests as part of a prenatal test.
Finally, at Gyn Care IVF we consider necessary to adjust the examination according to the patient’s individual and family medical history.

• Clear diagnosis of infertility.

The right diagnosis lays the right foundations for the effective treatment of the problem. Many times, because the woman / couple realizes that time is running out and because IVF as a technique ensures the highest rates of conception success, the couple resorts to this method. At the same time, doctors are dealing with the obvious cause that is no other than age, without looking thoroughly for other findings.
Clearly, the advanced reproductive age is itself a cause of infertility, but there may be other very important causes, such as endometriosis, which are crucial to be included in the appropriate individualized treatment plan.

• Pregnancy and Medical exams.

In pregnant women over 40 years old, amniocentesis is necessary between the 16th and 18th week. This exam tests for possible chromosomal abnormalities. The gynecologist needs to monitor her often, especially in the third trimester to check the development of the embryo and the possibility of premature birth.

• Diet.

Low weight gain is necessary in such occasions through a balanced diet with small and regular meals, rich in fruits and vegetables, grilled meat, fish or chicken.
This is your life and it is your choice. The confrontation with the chances, the complications of the pregnancy, but also the gain from such a situation can be taken into account.