More and more women are choosing to delay motherhood for personal or professional reasons, or simply because they have not yet found the right time to take that step. As a result, the desire to become pregnant after the age of 40 is an increasingly common reason for seeking fertility treatment.
Although many women do achieve pregnancy at this age, either spontaneously or through assisted reproduction treatments, it is important to bear in mind that fertility progressively declines over time.
Why does fertility decline after the age of 40?
The main reason is ovarian ageing. With age, both the number and quality of available eggs decline, which can make fertilisation more difficult and increase the likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities in embryos.
As a result, the chances of a successful ongoing pregnancy also decrease and the risk of miscarriage increases.
Are there more risks during pregnancy?
Most women over the age of 40 have healthy pregnancies and give birth to healthy babies. However, pregnancy at this age is considered to carry a higher obstetric risk, so closer medical monitoring is usually required.
Risks for the mother
Some complications become more common as maternal age increases, including:
- Gestational diabetes.
- High blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.
- Higher likelihood of caesarean delivery.
- High-risk pregnancies requiring more frequent monitoring.
Risks for the baby
Maternal age is also associated with an increased risk of:
- Chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome.
- Miscarriage.
- Preterm birth.
However, advances in prenatal diagnosis make it possible to detect and monitor many of these situations early.
The importance of an individualised assessment
Although age is an important factor, it does not by itself determine the chances of pregnancy.
Ovarian reserve, general health, reproductive history and sperm quality are also factors that influence the reproductive prognosis and should be assessed on an individual basis.
At Barcelona IVF , we know that motherhood does not always arrive at the same time for every woman. That is why we focus on personalized care that allows each case to be assessed individually, questions to be answered and the best reproductive options to be offered according to each patient's circumstances and goals.
