If you’re over 40 and have been told it will be difficult to get pregnant or stay pregnant because of your “advanced maternal age”, this blog is for you!
Egg quality declines as we age. It’s an unfortunate fact and a major reason conception can take longer in the mid-thirties and beyond. By age 40, a woman has about a 10% chance of conceiving within one year whereas she may have had a 90% chance of conceiving within one year at the age of 30 (1). And miscarriage rates increase as egg quality declines.
But before you spiral over these statistics, it’s important to remember they reflect the general population; the stats do not reflect individuals who are receiving integrative and functional medicine care from their naturopathic doctor.
In my personal clinical experience, these numbers don’t tell the full story. The reality is, most people aren’t being supported with a thorough and holistic lens when it comes to their fertility care. They are not being coached through the various lifestyle factors and natural therapeutics that can take some years off aging eggs.
There are several leading theories behind age-related declines in egg quality including:
- Reduced ovarian androgens
- Increased oxidative and carbonyl stress
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Oocyte telomere shortening
In reality, it’s likely a combination of all the above.
Nothing in medicine is ever guaranteed and I must emphasize that. But it is also true that I have helped many individuals over 40 conceive with the right tools in place.
If the phrase “your biological clock is ticking” bothers you as much as it does me, contact our office at 970-963-6500 or schedule a complementary discovery call. I would love to connect, rant about it and talk about how to get you feeling more empowered on your journey to grow your family later in life.
In Health,
Dr. Casey Bowen
https://www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk/fei/at-what-age-does-fertility-begin-to-decrease/