HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

question-icon

How To Conceive At The Age Of 43?

default
Posted on Tue, 8 Apr 2014
Question: Hi Doctors: I am a 43 year old African American female. I am 5 feet 2 inches & my current weight is 135lbs. I want to have a baby. I have never been pregnant & have never tried to conceive. My periods are 23 to 25 days apart & with light bleeding. The bleeding became light in July 2013. I have been having chills to the point of my teeth chatter & I have to cover up with blankets to get warm & I wake up soaking with sweat. The left side of my scalp is often freezing. My mother had her last baby when she was 39 years old (conceived at 39 years). After the birth of her last baby, she had her tubes tied (no medical reason for procedure). At this time, the doctor who performed the procedure advise but for the procedure she would probably given birth to at least 2 other children. Is there just I am capable of conceiving and having a healthy baby? Are is it just a pipe dream?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Aarti Abraham (12 minutes later)
Brief Answer: DEPENDS ON YOUR OVARIAN RESERVE. Detailed Answer: Hello Thanks for writing to us with your health concern. Basically, for a female, the reproductive capacity declines with age, and after 40, it has a sharp fall. This is because in females, there is a fixed limited number of eggs in the ovary, and each month, these get used up, so after a certain age, this capacity to form good quality and number of eggs decreases. This capacity is called the OR ( ovarian reserve ). In males, sperm formation goes on well into the seventies or eighties so this issue does not arise. Hence, the basic step for you is assessment of the ovarian reserve. Particularly, as your periods have got lighter, there is a chance that the ovarian reserve might be suboptimal. The ovarian reserve is best estimated by measuring the hormone AMH. This can be coupled with measurement of FSH , LH and Serum estradiol, which will tell you how close you are to peri menopause. Also, your partner's semen analysis should be done. Baseline number of eggs in each ovary ( antral follicular count ) should be estimated by transvaginal ultrasound scan and then follicular monitoring ( serial tracking of the dominant follicle throughout the cycle ) should be done. This will give a fair idea of what your chances of spontaneous conception are. It is most probably not a pipe dream , because there are various newer methods of ART ( assisted reproductive technologies ) which can help you with conception. These would include administration of agents that will stimulate ovulation , methods of injecting sperm inside the cervix, or , as a last option - IVF ( in vitro fertilization ). Please have the abovementioned workup to get a better idea. All the best Please feel free to discuss further.
Note: Revert back with your gynae reports to get a clear medical analysis by our expert Gynecologic Oncologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Aarti Abraham

OBGYN

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 6004 Questions

Ask me a question
premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Ask a Gynecologic Oncologist
Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
backtotop2
How To Conceive At The Age Of 43?

Brief Answer: DEPENDS ON YOUR OVARIAN RESERVE. Detailed Answer: Hello Thanks for writing to us with your health concern. Basically, for a female, the reproductive capacity declines with age, and after 40, it has a sharp fall. This is because in females, there is a fixed limited number of eggs in the ovary, and each month, these get used up, so after a certain age, this capacity to form good quality and number of eggs decreases. This capacity is called the OR ( ovarian reserve ). In males, sperm formation goes on well into the seventies or eighties so this issue does not arise. Hence, the basic step for you is assessment of the ovarian reserve. Particularly, as your periods have got lighter, there is a chance that the ovarian reserve might be suboptimal. The ovarian reserve is best estimated by measuring the hormone AMH. This can be coupled with measurement of FSH , LH and Serum estradiol, which will tell you how close you are to peri menopause. Also, your partner's semen analysis should be done. Baseline number of eggs in each ovary ( antral follicular count ) should be estimated by transvaginal ultrasound scan and then follicular monitoring ( serial tracking of the dominant follicle throughout the cycle ) should be done. This will give a fair idea of what your chances of spontaneous conception are. It is most probably not a pipe dream , because there are various newer methods of ART ( assisted reproductive technologies ) which can help you with conception. These would include administration of agents that will stimulate ovulation , methods of injecting sperm inside the cervix, or , as a last option - IVF ( in vitro fertilization ). Please have the abovementioned workup to get a better idea. All the best Please feel free to discuss further.