If you’re 35 or older and wish to have a baby, you might have questions running through your mind, such as: Will my age affect my pregnancy outcome?; Will be able to have a normal birth?, etc. To some, it may seem as if it’s too late to try due to the universal belief that the ideal age to conceive is between your early twenties till before your mid thirties. But, have you really missed your chance at motherhood? We think not!

Motherhood after 35 is possible.

Rest assured, you can become a mom in your late 30s or even into your 40s, although you may not get pregnant as quickly or easily as a 20-something would. If it can’t take place naturally, there are many advancements in the medical field that focus on helping women conceive successfully even after their ideal age.
There’s no doubt it’s easier to get pregnant when you’re younger. You’re born with a set number of eggs in your ovaries, and you lose at least one with each menstrual cycle. Their quality also declines as you age. That may sound depressing, but in the end, if you’re smart about it, there’s always a way to get pregnant.

Mind your timing

The younger you are the less issues you may run into when trying for a baby. If you’re 35 or older, you may need science to assist you in getting pregnant. In this regard, it’s about watching out for the ideal period of time, when unprotected intercourse will most likely result in a pregnancy. For this, you’ll need an ovulation predictor kit or a fertility kit that tests for the Luteinising Hormone (LH). It’ll help you figure out when your ovaries will release an egg. That’s the process called ovulation. These ovulation test kits are available at most pharmacies.

Lifestyles count, so change whatever’s necessary

Many women can’t come to terms with the fact that their lifestyles may be the cause of their inability to conceive. A healthy weight and no smoking, drugs, or alcohol consumption helps. So does a good, well-rounded diet which includes vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fats. A folic acid supplement is absolutely necessary, months before you even try for a baby.

Seek advice from a fertility specialist

A person’s ability to reproduce is understandably a big deal – we get it! For women, it represents almost her entire womanhood, for it is a gift to be able to carry a child and bring him/her into the world. When this ability is challenged, many women end up feeling ‘faulty’, discouraged and even guilty for not being able to bear a child.

Feeling this way is truly unnecessary for in these modern times, for help is just an appointment away – which means, motherhood too could be mere months away from now!

Seeking help from a fertility specialist is nothing to be ashamed of, especially when motherhood beckons and your body is not cooperating. Book an appointment, and see how it goes. You can expect to have your eggs and fallopian tubes checked, along with the father’s sperm, to look for any problems that he might be having too. The treatment that follows will be based on the findings and your personal needs (or that of the father’s). These might also include treatment for other health problems that may be linked, like uterine fibroids or blocked fallopian tubes. You might also be asked to lose or gain weight, or be prescribed with medicines to help prompt ovulation.

In-vitro fertilization (IVF), a somewhat expensive procedure, is available locally and many couples have successfully become parents through it. It’s when doctors combine the sperm and egg in a lab before placing back in the mother’s womb. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the only answer to a women’s inability to conceive though, for many people who’ve had trouble getting pregnant, successful conceived without it. But, it’s great to know though, that if all else fail, there’s still a way to get pregnant and have your own baby.