What Is A Geriatric Pregnancy?
As females age, the body stops producing eggs, and the egg quality deteriorates. Health professionals refer to pregnancies after age 35 as geriatric pregnancies. These pregnancies tend to be riskier because patients may develop serious health complications during the pregnancy. These complications may be gestational diabetes, premature birth, miscarriage, high blood pressure, or birth defects. However, many people over the age of 40 still conceive and birth healthy babies with the assistance of fertility specialists.
Advanced maternal-age pregnancies
Although fertility declines in a person’s thirties, pregnancy after age 40 is still possible. One of the major concerns of geriatric pregnancies is egg quality. Females are born with a set number of eggs at birth, and when menstruation starts, an unfertilized egg exits the body every month. The remaining eggs stay in the body for years, and during this time, the eggs may deteriorate and develop chromosomal abnormalities. This can lead to issues like premature birth, miscarriage, and stillbirth. With the help of trained professionals, women over the age of 40 can minimize these issues and have successful pregnancies.
Reasons for delaying pregnancy
Many people choose to delay pregnancy for a variety of reasons. Some people choose to focus on careers and wait until certain milestones are reached before starting a family. Others may choose not to have children earlier in life but have a change of heart later. No matter the reason, having a child is a personal decision. There is nothing wrong with waiting till a certain age to conceive children.
How medical advancements help the reproductive process
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a term that refers to medical practices that enable people struggling with fertility to conceive. These technologies like in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and frozen embryo transfer involve extracting eggs from the body and combining with sperm to create embryos. The embryos get implanted in the person’s uterus to carry the fetus. During the ART process, researchers examine the person’s eggs and extract the best ones for fertilization.
Understanding oocyte cryopreservation
Oocyte cryopreservation, better known as egg freezing, is another fertility option for people that want to raise children later in life. With this process, doctors remove viable eggs from the woman’s uterus and frozen for later use. Before the extraction process, doctors evaluate the person’s ovarian reserve and inject hormone medication to stimulate egg production. Mature eggs are moved, frozen, and stored in special chambers.
Do I have to undergo ART?
ART is not a necessary process for women over the age of 40. ART is just an alternative practice available to those dealing with fertility issues. Women over 40 who are interested in getting pregnant should consult a physician. A physician will be able to thoroughly examine the patient and conduct necessary tests to identify any fertility issues. Physicians will also refer patients to fertility specialists to perform in-depth analyses of ovarian reserves and egg quality.
