Q: I'm 34 and want to wait a year or two to try to get pregnant (I just got married and want to enjoy our new status!) Will my chances to get pregnant change dramatically in that time period, or stay the same as they are now?
A: Congratulations on your marriage! There are certainly a lot of changes in your life right now, and even good changes need time for adjustment. Family-planning often follows closely on the heels of the big event, making you (and your spouse) wonder if you are moving too quickly.
Taking all things into consideration, you have to stop and listen to the ticking of your biological clock. It is a fact of nature that after the age of 35, egg quality starts to decrease significantly in women. While it is true that women get pregnant after age 35 all the time, it is more challenging due to changes that occur in the eggs chromosomes and the biochemical make up of the cell. Beginning to try to conceive at age 34 is biologically better than waiting until you are 36. It is certainly possible that you will get pregnant at age 36 with no trouble at all. The problem is that you won't know until you try.
In this day of female independence, many women are offended to hear that at age 35, their eggs are "old". The reality is that we are naturally designed to have our children young; much younger than we are often socially and financially ready to. You and your husband may find it more important as a couple to wait a few years, just make sure you are making an informed decision.
Q: Is it common for women to freeze their eggs for use at a later date, and does it typically work?
A: Egg freezing is an attractive possibility for a few reasons. Single women could store eggs well ahead of menopause to prolong their child-bearing years. Cancer patients could insure their reproductive abilities by saving eggs in the deep freeze ahead of cancer treatments that often damage them. And of course, the most ethically significant reason: the dilemmas regarding frozen embryos would be avoided if the eggs and sperm could be successfully frozen separately. This would eliminate the painful decisions of what to do with unused frozen embryos.
The reality of the matter is that the technology for freezing eggs is still experimental and relatively unproven. It is starting to become commercially available at select clinics around the country, but I would recommend that women do their homework first. The human egg is very fragile and generally does not survive freezing well. Understand that the take home baby rate per thawed egg is extremely low. The younger the woman is when she freezes the eggs, the better the possibility of a pregnancy later. No one should rely entirely on this method for reproduction at this time. Eventually, as the scientific technique gets better, this may become more mainstream medical care.
Q: How long should I try to get pregnant on my own before seeing an Infertility Specialist?
A: If you are a woman under 35, specialists recommend that you seek assistance after 12 months of unprotected intercourse without pregnancy. If you are over 35, don't wait longer than 6 months. Egg quality changes drastically after age 35, and every cycle counts.
If you want to be proactive and work toward conception without the wait, I suggest an at-home fertility product, such as the Conception Kit. It is a great way for people to take charge of their fertility, and get a jump start on trying to conceive. Often, men in particular are reluctant to see the doctor, knowing that it will involve the possibility of a semen analysis. Using an at-home product can help get started without the pressure of an office visit, easing your partner into the process, while still working toward your goal of building a family.
Sources:
1. Fertility and Aging. http://www.asrm.org/Patients/topics/aging.html
2. Oocyte Cryopreservation. http://www.asrm.org/Patients/topics/cryopreservation.html
Stacie L. Hill worked for 13+ years at Michigan Reproductive & IVF Center in Grand Rapids MI, as an embryologist, proficient in all aspects of human embryo work including ICSI, IVF, and cryopreservation of embryos. She left there in 2006 to teach Anatomy & Physiology and Bioethics at Montcalm Community College and currently is the customer service manager at Conceivex; with customer education and communication being the primary focus of her job. http://www.conceptionkit.com
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