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Fertility: Conception After Forty

By HERWriter
 
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Infertility / Fertility related image Photo: Getty Images

The chance of getting pregnant is much lower after the age of forty than it was at twenty. Many women are thrilled by this fact. For those who aren't, and who want to get pregnant, there is room for hope.

As I mentioned, it's harder to get pregnant at or after forty. But it's by no means impossible; as a matter of fact middle-aged women are doing it every day all around the world. Still, it is harder to accomplish by this age.

Once you're on the other side of forty, fertility has dropped by at least 25 percent. By the age of forty-five, the chance of conception is 95 percent less than it was for the same woman in her twenties.

But once the deed is done, a healthy woman in middle age can carry a healthy baby full term and have a safe delivery. Happens all the time.

Still, as with many things in life, there are some risks. After forty, the number of normal, healthy eggs in a woman's ovaries has significantly decreased, and this increases the risk of deformity to the baby. Miscarriage is also a bigger possibility in the forties.

Fertility requires a certain balance in the body. Giving greater attention to your diet and levels of stress in your life will aid your chance of conception.

Women interested in a natural course of action might drink red clover tea or stinging nettle tea. They can eat plenty of leafy green vegetables both cooked and raw. This provides folic acid, calcium and magnesium.

Cold-pressed oils, nut butters and whole wheat flour (for those not gluten sensitive) are good sources of vitamin E.

Comfrey root should be avoided, but the leaves contain minerals, proteins and vitamins needed to make a healthy baby. Comfrey leaves benefit the baby's nervous system and increase flexibility in the mother's bones, ligaments and tendons, mucus surfaces and skin.

Agnus castus is an herb that is said to help regulate any hormone imbalances and a sporadic menstrual cycle.

To calm you when you're feeling stressed out, you might try motherwort tincture, or some of the Bach flower remedies. Some Bach remedies are aspen for apprehension, mimulus for fearfulness, elm for feeling overwhelmed, red chestnut for worry, and rock rose for anxiety.

Gentle massage, Reiki, yoga and tai chi as well as meditation can be calming and soothing for a mother-to-be of any age.

Resources:

What are the risks of having a baby after the age of 35?
http://www.babycenter.ca/preconception/beforeyoubegin/risksafter35expert

Top Five Ways on Improving Fertility Over 40
http://www.articlesbase.com/disabilities-articles/top-five-ways-on-improving-fertility-over-40-3281020.html

A Woman's Age And Fertility
http://www.socalfertility.com/age-and-fertility.html

Fertility After Forty
http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/preconception/fertilityafter40.htm

Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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