You are born with all the eggs you are ever going to have. You don't make any new eggs during your lifetime; in fact, the highest number of eggs you possessed was while you were still in your mother's uterus: a 20-week-old female fetus has about seven million eggs.
From age 15 to age 45, there are approximately 200,000 eggs left in reserve. Within that timeframe of 30 years and given normal monthly menstruation, you have an estimated 550 available eggs per month in which only one best egg will be released.
Women have “perfect” eggs below the age 30, but then egg quality starts to decline, which explains declining fertility. Over the age of 45, almost all the eggs which fertilise will create chromosomally abnormal embryos and therefore the chance of healthy, ongoing pregnancy is close to zero.
The AMH blood test has become more common in the past 15 years, but another way to determine a woman's ovarian reserve is to conduct an antral follicle count during a transvaginal ultrasound. This method, which entails counting the follicles seen on the screen, is also useful, along with AMH, explains Amanda N.
Although of course there are exceptions, using own eggs for IVF by women over the age of 45 is unlikely to be successful. This means that you are very unlikely to get pregnant at 45 with own eggs. Fortunately, this does not necessarily mean that a woman is incapable of carrying her own child.
As eggs, or Oocytes, are microscopic, you cannot really determine how many you have. However, the immature egg cells secrete a hormone call AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone) which can be measured and interpreted in the context of what is the average measure of this hormone for one's age group.
Your Chances of Getting Pregnant: 45 and Older
At 45, your chances of getting pregnant are no more than 3% or 4%. That's not to say it's impossible, but assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are almost always necessary, with IVF being the most common.
Realistically, you can always undergo IVF unless you have experienced ovarian failure and/or menopause. However, pregnancy success rates using your own eggs drops considerably for women over 40.
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.
The number of women who are having babies after age 45 years is increasing. The increase in pregnancies is mainly due to the use of donor eggs in this group of patients. The pregnancy rate using donor eggs is excellent and exceeds 60% per transfer.
At the age of 37, the average woman has around 25,000 eggs left, and by the time she reaches 51, this will have fallen to 1,000. “Just before menopause, your egg supply reaches below 1,000, and ovulations space out before they stop altogether, eventually,” says Dr.
By age 43, your egg supply is near its end. Your risk of pregnancy complications, such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, increases after 35 as well, and continues to rise into your 40s. Miscarriage rates begin to skyrocket in your 40s as well.
Doctors have tests to measure egg count.
There are two good ways to measure egg count: an antral follicle count and an AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) test. During an antral follicle count, a doctor uses ultrasound to count the visible follicles.
A woman is born with all her eggs. Once she starts her periods, 1 egg develops and is released during each menstrual cycle.
CoQ10 supplementation has been shown to improve egg quality, sperm quality, and pregnancy rates. Sperm and eggs both take about 90 days to develop. For best results, fertility specialists recommend taking CoQ10 and other fertility supplements for 90+ days if possible.
In addition to its well-established role in neural tube defect prevention, research suggests folate plays an important role in promoting egg quality, maturation and implantation.
Can you have a normal, healthy pregnancy at 45? Yes. Assuming you have top-notch prenatal care during your pregnancy, you eat well and have a healthy lifestyle, you take care of yourself during your nine months, and you come into your pregnancy as healthy as can be, your pregnancy can be problem-free.
It's highly unusual for a woman to get pregnant on her own after age 45. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008 there were 0.7 births per 1,000 women ages 45 to 49, compared with 9.9 births per 1,000 women ages 44 to 40.
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.