Infertility, or sub-fertility, is a problem that is
affecting more couples than ever before, as
people wait longer and longer to have children.
One in ten couples older than 30 has trouble conceiving.
After age 35, the ratio is one in five. Of
course, age isn’t a problem for everyone. Some
women reportedly get pregnant even in their
50s. (According to Guinness World Records, the
world’s oldest spontaneously pregnant mother
was 571/2 when she conceived.) But face it:
Spontaneous pregnancy in a woman’s late 40s
and 50s is rare.
When should you seek a doctor’s help?
Generally, after you’ve been trying unsuccessfully
to get pregnant for six months to a year.
But if you have a history of miscarriages or
difficulty conceiving, if you’re older than 35,
or if you already know that your partner has
a low sperm count, you may want to get help
before six months are up. No matter what your
situation, don’t despair. Reproductive technologies
become more sophisticated — and more
successful — with each passing year. At this
point, couples can try various techniques with
complicated-sounding names — ovarian stimulation
with fertility medications, intrauterine
insemination (with or without sperm washing),
intracytoplasmic sperm injection, use of donor
sperm or donor eggs, and in vitro fertilization
(and its many variations) — depending on their
particular cause of infertility. For a couple that
has trouble conceiving right away, chances are
better than ever that they will eventually become
pregnant. If you’re having trouble getting pregnant
and you’re not sure whether it’s time to see an
infertility specialist, discuss it with your practitioner.
affecting more couples than ever before, as
people wait longer and longer to have children.
One in ten couples older than 30 has trouble conceiving.
After age 35, the ratio is one in five. Of
course, age isn’t a problem for everyone. Some
women reportedly get pregnant even in their
50s. (According to Guinness World Records, the
world’s oldest spontaneously pregnant mother
was 571/2 when she conceived.) But face it:
Spontaneous pregnancy in a woman’s late 40s
and 50s is rare.
When should you seek a doctor’s help?
Generally, after you’ve been trying unsuccessfully
to get pregnant for six months to a year.
But if you have a history of miscarriages or
difficulty conceiving, if you’re older than 35,
or if you already know that your partner has
a low sperm count, you may want to get help
before six months are up. No matter what your
situation, don’t despair. Reproductive technologies
become more sophisticated — and more
successful — with each passing year. At this
point, couples can try various techniques with
complicated-sounding names — ovarian stimulation
with fertility medications, intrauterine
insemination (with or without sperm washing),
intracytoplasmic sperm injection, use of donor
sperm or donor eggs, and in vitro fertilization
(and its many variations) — depending on their
particular cause of infertility. For a couple that
has trouble conceiving right away, chances are
better than ever that they will eventually become
pregnant. If you’re having trouble getting pregnant
and you’re not sure whether it’s time to see an
infertility specialist, discuss it with your practitioner.
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