The holiday movie “This is 40” premiers this month, reminding us as at IVF Plano that milestone birthdays significantly impact fertility. Dr. Jim Douglas often sees couples that are surprised by the statistics for conceiving after 40.

Chances for Getting Pregnant in Your 20s, 30s and 40s

According to the American Association for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM):

• A woman’s best reproductive years are in her 20s.
• Fertility gradually declines in the 30s, particularly after age 35.
• A healthy, fertile 30-year-old woman has a 20% chance of getting pregnant.
• By age 40, a woman’s chance is less than 5% per cycle.

Infertility Treatment Helps Over-40 Couples

A video interview with an IVF Plano couple tells the story of Vickers and Dan, now the parents of twins. Vickers was 39 when she married Dan and the couple knew they would want to start a family right away. Hormone testing at her obgyn office revealed normal levels. After just 6 months when the couple starting trying to conceive, fertility blood work showed a dramatic change.

Vickers’ obgyn referred her to Dr. Douglas, a fertility specialist, at which time tests revealed that male infertility was also hindering conception. Dr. Douglas treated the couple with one round of in-vitro fertilization (IFV) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

“We needed help.”

The new dad’s advice to couples considering partnering with a fertility specialist: “The most challenging part has been finding out we were going to have some issues trying to conceive.

We needed help from someone. You really had to put your pride in the back seat and say this is what we want to do, this is what we want to accomplish, and this is how we want to get there.”

Dr. Douglas encourages couples to seek help after one year of trying to get pregnant. If you are over 35, visit a fertility specialist at the six-month point. IVF Planois located at Plano Presbyterian at Parker Road and the Tollway.

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