More and more women who for various reasons decide to be moms at 40 or older. Some decide to develop professionally before taking responsibility for bringing a child into the world; while others, despite trying, have not had the opportunity to be mothers at an earlier age. Luckily for them, with the new advances in the health sector, there are several alternatives to be able to conceive a healthy and, above all, desired child.
From a biological aspect, over the years, the possibility of conceiving of a woman diminishes. Ideally, a woman should conceive before age 35, since the eggs are in better condition. Women over 40 have only a 10% chance of getting pregnant.
It is advisable to resort to an assisted pregnancy after more than a year of having had sexual intercourse for the purpose of procreation. To know what treatment to opt for, hormone tests and ultrasound exams must first be performed to determine the status of the female reproductive system. If you have a male partner, a spermiogram should be performed; which determines the fertility of a man.
What factors cause infertility and sterility?
First of all, it is necessary to define the differences between the two terms. Sterility refers to the inability to conceive after repeated sexual intercourse without a contraceptive method; while infertility occurs when the pregnancy cannot be terminated, taking into account from the second gestational loss followed.
In the case of women, one of the main sterility factors is polycystic ovary syndrome. It is also possible that there are unknown obstructions in the fallopian tubes. Another reason why a woman is sterile is due to the presence of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Infertility also has various causes; if you have irregular cycles, it is probably difficult for you to conceive. If you are or have been a cancer patient, the formation of tumors, especially in the reproductive organs could be a cause. Habits such as poor diet, excessive exercise and alcohol, and tobacco use are also influential.
In vitro fertilization
It is a complex process in which women are first stimulated in a hormonal way to obtain more fertile and mature eggs. Subsequently, the ovules are selected in better conditions to join them with the sperm and place them again in the uterus after the fifth day of fertilization. Despite being an expensive treatment, it is the cheapest compared to other countries in Latin America, with a price of between approximately 4,000 to 6,000 dollars.
It should be noted that this procedure, like all types of pregnancy, has risks. Some of these are multiple pregnancies, ectopic pregnancy (arises when the embryo grows outside the uterus), spontaneous abortions or congenital defects and damage to the baby’s chromosomes.