IVF after 40: in simple terms
Why do women over 40 want to become mothers?
Many women over 40 still dream of having a child. This is perfectly normal. But with age, the body changes, and it becomes more difficult to conceive. To help, doctors use IVF — in vitro fertilization, which is fertilization in a laboratory.
According to statistics, about a third of women between the ages of 40 and 44 choose IVF to become mothers.
How does age affect the ability to get pregnant?
It is easier to get pregnant before the age of 35: the body has many eggs, and health is usually good. After this age, the number of eggs decreases, and they lose their quality. Between the ages of 40 and 45, the chances of getting pregnant naturally are greatly reduced. In addition, chronic diseases may worsen.
But thanks to IVF, even women over 40 can get pregnant. The option of using donor eggs, when cells from another, younger woman are used, works particularly well. In this case, the chance of success can be 50–60% per attempt.
Studies have been conducted in France. One of them, published in the journal Gynécologie Obstétrique Fertilité & Sénologie (2022), showed that women over 42 had a 57% chance of getting pregnant after IVF with donor eggs. Another study, published in La Presse Médicale (2021), confirmed that if both donor eggs and donor sperm are used (double donation), the results can be even better.
How IVF works after 40
When a woman is over 40, doctors take into account that her body no longer works the same way it did when she was 20. Therefore, it is very important to obtain as many good eggs as possible in one attempt. Specialists also try to prepare the body properly so that the embryo can implant well. Everything should be done with minimal stress and health risks.
To increase the chances of success, special programs are often prescribed: IVF with egg donation and IVF with double egg donation. The first is suitable if a woman has few eggs of her own or if they are of poor quality. The second is used when both the man and the woman have serious fertility problems. In this case, donor eggs and donor sperm are used simultaneously.
If a woman has almost no eggs left, or a man has no sperm even after testing, their own cells offer no chance of success. In such cases, donation becomes the only option. IVF with egg donation makes it possible to use material from a young woman, which significantly increases the likelihood of pregnancy. And with double donation IVF, both types of donor cells are used, which is especially effective in cases of complex infertility in both partners.
With donor cells, it is possible to obtain more high-quality embryos. In addition, donors undergo rigorous medical testing, which reduces the risk of hereditary diseases. This makes treatment safer and increases the chances of a positive outcome.
What affects the outcome
For IVF to work, it is important that the doctor is experienced and the clinic is well-equipped. The laboratory where the embryos are stored and prepared is also very important. All of this increases the chances of success. At Natuvitro, we work with modern technologies, conduct detailed examinations, and select the treatment that is right for your situation.
Where to find out more
If you would like to find out which program is right for you, call the number listed on the website or fill out the simple form in the “Contacts” section.
