This post is also available in: العربية Español

New mothers in their 40’s are becoming more common. Falling pregnant in your 40’s is harder than in your 20’s, yet the desire for children comes at different ages. There are some critical things you should know to help you fall pregnant in your 40’s. Learn about getting pregnant naturally after 40.

Natural pregnancy rates run at about 40% between 35 – 39 years of age. That means 40 out of every 100 women who want a baby do so without needing a doctor or medical help. Between 40 – 44 these same rates drop to 20%, and at 45 down to 10%.

Can an IVF doctor or medicine do better than natural pregnancy rates? Statistics say  NO.

IVF success rates run about five years behind natural pregnancy rates.

Between 35 – 39-years-of age, IVF pregnancy rate average at 35% and the actual live birth rate at 25%. Between 40 – 44 IVF pregnancies drop from 20% down to 8%, with live birth rates of 15% down to 2%. At 45 natural pregnancy rates are five times more likely than IVF. Compare a 10% natural pregnancy rate to the low 2% IVF success rate. These are the statistics.

Natural fertility rates beat IVF every time. What are the doctors missing?

Surely IVF is helping women who can’t fall pregnant to solve their infertility issues. If this was the full story then still, only one in five women at 40 fall pregnant using IVF. One in twelve women has a baby at the age of 44. It would seem that trying to create a natural pregnancy is the most effective solution.

How to beat the post-40’s IVF blues? Getting pregnant naturally after 40.

Now, this is no coincidence, but do the above two charts look the same as the first two?

The intervals of years and rates of decline are the same. Is this a clue to the underlying reason for declining fertility rates? You bet it is! It is the essence of declining fertility rates and the key to solving it.

The Egg Quality Issue

Most of us have made popcorn. We notice that below all that nice hot fluffy popped corn, there are some kernels left un-popped. Now there is a scientific reason why these kernels don’t pop. All the kernels look the same, but some just won’t pop.

This is what happens to a woman’s eggs after 38 years of age. They still look the same yet don’t ‘pop’ so well anymore. Fertility rates drop because of fertilization problems due to declining egg quality. It sounds so obvious now.

After 38 egg fertilization rates drop because of decreasing egg quality.

Antral follicle counts, ovarian reserve, and Anti-Mullerian Hormone levels are fertility markers. Natural fertility rates and IVF success rates depend on proper levels of these markers.

Learn more about what these markers mean here.

The key to promoting pregnancy in women in her 40’s is to improve her egg quality.

How do you know if egg quality is good? Get an Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test done, and that will give you a great sign on your egg quality. Learn more about the AMH test here.

If you are over 38 and have typical AMH values of 1.96 ng/ml or 14 pmol/l and above, then your eggs are great. It is the same as having eggs of a woman of 30. AMH levels of ‘normal’ or ‘below normal’ over 38 years-of-age show you where the real problem lies.

Improving egg quality is the key to pregnancy after 40.

How to improve egg quality? Is it easy? Umm… no.

Improving egg quality and its AMH indicator is impossible according to your doctor.

Improving egg quality back to that of a 30-year-old is possible and within reach of many women over 40.

Knowing your current AMH and day 3 FSH levels is an excellent indicator of improvement. In general, higher AMH levels and lower day 3 FSH levels are a great sign that improvement is possible. Lower AMH levels and higher FSH levels make it harder. Check your levels with our research, to know how likely you are to see improvements in your egg quality. Learn more about proper AMH and FSH values and what they mean.

IVF doctors can’t improve egg quality with below normal AMH levels.

Neither can any pharmaceutical drug. To date, improving egg quality for women over 40 has eluded modern medicine altogether. It is not even a field of research.

If you have AMH levels below that of a 37-year-old, IVF is unlikely to help you. The lower your levels, the less the chances of a pregnancy. IVF success rates, even with normal AMH/FSH values, are between 18% – 2%. What are the rates when AMH levels are low? 8% – 2%. See the ‘Essential Guide to low AMH and IVF,’ to understand this topic in detail.

Now, these facts are not designed to dishearten would-be mothers. Knowing the limits of what IVF can do is a reality check. Be informed!

There are natural and intelligent ways of getting pregnant naturally after 40.

• You can improve your fertility by adding a few simple ingredients to your weekly diet.
• Reducing stress and improving quality of life does not have to be hard.
• Know what supplements are best for fertility.
• Solve pre-existing fertility problems such as irregular periods and endometriosis.
• Take Advanced Fertility Solutions recommended products to assist in getting pregnant naturally after 40.