Many women and couples are choosing till later in life to conceive. That can of course come with challenges... but is it a challenge just because of age? Or is there more to it? I believe that there is a difference between chronological age (based on your birthdate) and biological age, based on your genetics, environment and lifestyle. We can't change our genetics- but we can change so many other things that can transform our ovarian or biological age! And... there are now tests to help assess and prove it. Pretty cool huh?
The changing social scenario, together with economic growth and an increase in job opportunities, has to a great extent, reduced gender inequality and has resulted in more and more older women seeking help from infertility clinics.
Both males' and females' chances of successful pregnancy decrease as "age" increases. Oocyte number and quality decrease with advancing age. And, fecundity (the ability to carry to term) decreases as age increases, with a more rapid decline after the mid-30s. Patients over 35 should receive a prompt evaluation for causes of infertility after no more than 6 months of attempted conception. PMID: 25681837
Let us remember that infertility does not focus on the woman alone, for this has been the usual mindset when people heard that a particular couple couldn't get pregnant. Research shows that the male factor must also be considered when the couple is experiencing infertility.
Male fertility decline is more subtle, but a man's age affects the chances of his (female) partner conceiving. Male age over 45 years increases the risk of miscarriage and the child's risk of mental health and developmental disorders.
Fertility and the woman's age
Infertility is a distressing issue for both the couple and their families. The World Health Organization has recognized its importance as a global health problem.
- The ability to procreate is age-related, more so in the female partner.
- Naturally, there is an age-related decline in fecundity, the decrease usually starting at the age of 32 with a dramatic fall after age 37.
Fertility and the man's age
As paternal age increases in the developed world, more attention has been given to the effects of age on male reproductive and sexual function. Although the biological potential for reproduction continues for most of a man's life, changes in sperm production do occur. In addition, erectile function changes with age, caused by the same factors that lead to other vascular diseases. (PMID: 28160919) In addition, there are potential medical and psychological consequences for children born to older fathers. (PMID: 28160918)
Fertility and aging have always been closely linked, and the female partner's age remains the single most crucial factor in predicting success with treatment. Although tests for ovarian reserve are an essential information tool and are helpful in selecting treatment options. Because if you can find the right people that can support you on this, age as a factor in fertility is not really an issue because there are a lot of ways that can be done to optimize fertility health despite age.
Though the egg and sperm quality decline as both men and women age, there are still ways to increase the egg quality and sperm count, motility, and morphology with good quality. This has been proven and tested from my 15 years of practice. I've had my Restorative Fertility Method that brought and will continue to bring healthy babies into this world.
So, the ways to improve egg and sperm quality rely on how you will follow the protocol recommended.
- Diet and lifestyle shift is not easy but it's worth it because when your change your diet and lifestyle, you are not only preparing yourself for your baby, but you are also making yourself healthy enough to carry another human being and to nurture your baby when she/he goes out into the world. We have the Fertility Reboot food Plan where we have specifics on what and how to eat during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Along with the diet and lifestyle shift, there are also supplements that will help boost your fertility health. Why is a supplement still needed? Because there are nutrients from the foods that are not enough to fill in the deficiency in your body especially if time is not on your side and boosting your fertility health is really needed to meet the specified time to conceive. These supplements are designed and compounded to address your insufficiencies.
- The lab tests. This is essential to see where the levels at after following the protocol or the recommended plan. This is also done every now and then for monitoring if we already met the optimal level for fertility. Because what is normal is not really the ideal level when it comes to fertility. Mind-blowing? Yes. This is why we need to see your Day 3 hormone levels when you apply for our Fertility Insight Session to determine and have a sense of what might be happening under the surface, and this will also serve as a way to know how we can support you.
- Full support from my team. Yes, we support you in any way possible. We tend to always update our ways to deliver more than satisfactory support to our clients.
While the instances of starting a family at a later age cannot be ceased due to our fast-progressing world, there are still chances of having a baby despite a 'mature' age. You just need the right team of people to support you in optimizing your fertility. More so.... companies are arising that are proving the possibilities of reversing the biological clock. We will be conducting a study with one of these companies soon.... And, I believe and hope that we will be able to empower women to truly have babies whenever they choose to!