Any ideas for improving my chances?

I know this may not go down well with a lot of people. I have just turned 50. I married in my 40's and thought I probably would not have children because I was too old. We have used contraception. However, I keep seeing that older women and even post menopausal women are having babies and thought I might give this a try and maybe I am not too old and maybe I could have a child and I should not have given up.

I have read that it is possible to have a child in later life and they do turn out healthy and even that some women are genetically programmed for it. How can I find out if I am one? Or if I have a chance?

I know my fathers mother and two of his sisters had children late in life ( mother was 54, sisters 52 and 50 respectively but they were not first children, although in both cases there was a big gap between the previous child and the second one. In my fathers case he was the youngest of 9 and was 12 years younger than his nearest sister).

I am not menopausal. Everything appears normal and works like clockwork. You could literally set the time and date by me. However, I do not have any idea about my fertility. I know I need to get this right pretty quickly if I am going to conceive because time cannot be on my side at my age.

Has anyone any good ideas for helping me get pregnant ( obviously I do plan on having suitable relations!) working out whether I am fertile and when my best chance of conceiving might be?

Any help would be welcome. Please dont criticise or judge though.


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Fertility Stories - infertility experiences of people like you.

The first question, really, is what are your chances to begin with. The best way to find out is to have a blood test to test your FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) levels. This is an excellent indicator of the quality of your eggs (their ability to be fertilized).

Generally you would test on the 3rd day of your cycle. If your result is high, there are some methods that are said to work to reduce FSH levels.  If these methods fail, egg donation can be an option. It would mean that you carry the baby, but it is not genetically related to you.

In any case, if you're serious about having a baby, don't put it off.


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Buy the book


"Taking charge of your fertility" by Toni Weschler.
It tells you all you need to know about maximising your chances. Look out
for that egg white mucus!!

--
Best regards,
Serenity




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"Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History."

You probably know this, but having a child after you turn 40 is very risky. The chance for birth defects increases hazardously. I know they always show these 60 years old mothers on TV, but for each happy-older-mom that makes the news, there are dozens of women whose decision to give birth at a late age was devastating. Haze you considered adopting?


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if this is what you want, do it .   go and see your doctor first and he will help you with every thing.  their are risk with having a baby if you are in you 30's I know.  just go and talk to your doctor and know your cycle.  fine out when you ovulation starts try the babycenter.com and they will have what you need their. 

good luck and happy new years


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I would just speak with your OB about it. He or she will be upfront and honest about everything. Have you thought about surrogacy? Where you could use his sperm but someone else's eggs (if yours are not viable)? That is also an option. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)


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While you plan for everyone else,
Expecting Executive plans for you!

Expecting Executive Blog


I would strongly suggest finding a high-risk obstetrician before you try to conceive.  They will be able to run a battery of tests and have you meet with a genetic counselor.  Genetic counseling is important due to the fact that most genetic problems in pregnancy are most commonly related to the mother's age. Women older than 35 are at higher risk of having babies with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) and other chromosome abnormalities. Still, not all affected pregnancies are seen in older mothers.

I would also very strongly that you discuss with your partner (before conceiving) what decisions you might make should prenatal testing inform you of any serious genetic difficulties affecting your fetus.

Very best to you! Expecting Executive


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