Fertility Methods That Allow Older Women to Conceive Essay
Having kids is one of those things most of us take for granted, until the day comes around when we decide we want children and have trouble with conceiving.
There are many sorts of fertility treatments for individuals who are having complications conceiving a child. Being able to conceive is not a guaranteed with any of the different types of fertility treatments. A basic infertility diagnosis is the first step toward fertility treatments. Often, a couple needs to try conceiving naturally for at least a year to 15 months prior to seeking fertility treatments.In some cases, couples may not be diagnosed with any fertility problems at all. However, if you are still having trouble there are many helpful treatments of conceiving a child, for example, fertility drugs, artificial inseminations, donor sperm, donor eggs, in vitro fertilization, and surrogacy.
One treatment is to use fertility drugs. This method is injected or taken in pill form, the drugs release hormones that induce ovulation to boost egg production and make the uterus more receptive to embryo implantation.This method is best suited for infertile women who don’t ovulate regularly or who have partners with very poor sperm quality. A positive effect of this process would be the drugs are typically the first choice in fertility treatments because of their low cost and relative convenience. Some negative effects of using fertility drugs are bloating, headaches, hot flashes, and nausea. Side effects are worse with the shots, including risk of multiple births, premature delivery, and formation of large ovarian cysts (Richards).Another action would be to take an artificial insemination which is the most common method, intrauterine insemination, involves inserting specially prepared “washed” sperm directly into the cervical canal through a thin, flexible tube ( Toner).
Women usually take fertility drugs, as well, to increase chances of fertilization. This method has shown the most success in fertility with women. A positive outlook on this procedure is that it can be done right in the doctor’s office. A negative viewpoint would be that the women may have side effects if she is also taking a fertility drug.A different behavior may possibly be either a donor sperm or a donor egg method.
Donor sperm procedure is sperm from a male other than the intended father is used. The woman then undergoes artificial insemination. The positives of this procedure are that it allows infertile men, carriers of genetic disorders, and single women to have a child. However a con would be that the father is not genetically related to the child.
Donor egg procedure includes eggs are obtained from ovaries of another woman are fertilized by sperm from the recipient’s partner. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the recipient’s uterus.Some pros to this practice are that it enables older women and those with ovarian problems to become biological parents. Still, the mother is not genetically related to the child.
In addition with those methods, another type would be in vitro fertilization. This system is a multi-step process in which a woman’s eggs are extracted and fertilized with sperm in the lab and the resulting embryo is implanted in the uterus (Morris). This type of fertilization is best suited for women with blocked or severely damaged fallopian tubes or scarring from endometriosis and older women with fewer years of fertility remaining.Also, it is best for men with very poor sperm quality or couples with unexplained infertility. The encouraging pros to this method are for couples who have severe infertility issues and the negatives would be that there is an increased risk of multiple pregnancies and premature labor. Finally surrogacy is the last method I will be talking about.
This fertility method has woman, who is the surrogate, carry the pregnancy for another woman. The surrogate becomes pregnant by artificial insemination using the father’s sperm or through in vitro fertilization and who then carries the couple’s child.The negatives for this procedure are that the mother will not be able to go through having a child and having a bonding stage with the baby inside of her.
The positives are women who have recurrent miscarriages, lack a uterus, due to hysterectomy, or suffer from a disease that makes it risky to carry a baby. Older women are competent to take any of these procedures to help them become fertile. However, women who are older have a lower fertility rate and a higher rate of miscarriage as their age increases.
As a woman ages, her egg supply diminishes, and the eggs that are leftover have an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities (Malpani). Female fertility starts declining in the mid- to late-30s and accelerates dramatically after age 40, when 60 percent of women are infertile. As expected, the fertility rate dropped significantly after the age of 30 (Hill and Astnana). Another similar study suggested that the probability of having a baby decreased 3.
5% per year after the age of 30. Women ranging from 35 to 40 years old can still have healthy pregnancies (Silber). This is because women at these ages are in good health.All they need is to have the right pre-natal care and maintain the healthy habits their doctors will tell them in order to reduce some risks. However, there are more chances of complications stirring in late pregnancy as opposed to child bearing at your 20’s or early 30’s. If problems do arise for older women, they can also be effectively treated. In a nutshell, you may be of any age and still have a healthy baby. All you need to do is care for yourself and your baby during the entire pregnancy stage.
ReferencesSarah Elizabeth Richards “Health and Science” Washington Post. Web. 1 September. 2009 Amelia Hill and Anusnka Astnana “Women urged to test for fertility at 30: Expert calls for fertility MoTs’ and education” The Observer. Web. 9 August. 2009 James Toner M. D.
“Chance for successful pregnancy” Infertility Specialists. Web. November. 2008 Dr. Aniruddha Malpani “Older Women: Fertility, Infertility, Problems” MiricleWorx Web Design.
Web. 2009 Randy S. Morris M.
D. “Aging Reproduction and Infertility” Webinnovations. Web. 2008 Sherman J. Silber M. D. “Decreasing Fertility of the Wife in Relation to Aging” Infertility Center of Saint Louis.
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