IVF at 40: Success rate for ivf over 40

1. 🩺 Natural pregnancy after 40 - chances, reasons for their decrease
2. 🤰 How to improve fertility?
3. ⭐ What is the chance of pregnancy after 40 with IVF?

Feskov Human Reproduction Group helps women after 40 to get pregnant with a variety of IVF programs.

Natural pregnancy after 40 - chances, reasons for their decrease

Although women who are already in their 40s can also conceive an heir naturally, one cannot ignore the fact that the chances of this have dropped significantly over the past decade. This is due to the fact that the peak of fertility falls on 20-25 years, after 32 - the birth rate is approaching a decrease, at 35 - the process is gaining faster, until by the age of 40 it has dropped by 2 times.

Statistics are not encouraging:

• at the age of 30, the probability of getting pregnant per cycle is 20%;
• at 40 - 5%;
• at 45 - only 1%.

A decrease in fertility is a natural process of decrepitude of the female body. Over time, the number of eggs decreases. Since women are born with a limited number of follicles. Thus, although a woman in her 40s still has about 10,000 oocytes left, this is only 3% of the original 300,000 germ cells at the time of puberty.

Over time, the eggs accumulate gene mutations - the DNA repair mechanisms fail. Therefore, the frequency of unsuccessful fertilizations, miscarriages and birth defects (Down syndrome) increases over the years. In addition, the quality of the partner's sperm also matters. In an older person, sperm becomes worse, sperm motility decreases, and the number of chromosomal mutations increases.

How to improve fertility?

The fastest and most effective way to get pregnant, not only after 40, but at any age, is to have unprotected sex at the right time of the cycle - when ovulation occurs.

You also need to consider:

• healthy lifestyle;
• a balanced diet (protein, fruits, vegetables, calcium);
• moderate physical activity;
• to give up smoking;
• reducing alcohol and caffeine;
• high stress levels can negatively affect the hormonal system on which reproductive function depends - it is important to reduce stress or learn to relax.

However, if the couple tried all of the above methods and the pregnancy did not happen after six months of unprotected attempts, then it is recommended to consult a doctor.

What is the chance of pregnancy after 40 with IVF?

Since the chances of achieving pregnancy naturally after 40 are less than 5%, many families decide to increase them by using ART, for example, IVF. Although the effectiveness of artificial insemination at a younger age is higher, 75% of patients in reproductive clinics are women over 40. Cases of good pregnancy and delivery by 48-year-old patients are known.

Even with a decrease in the effectiveness of IVF with age, appropriate infertility treatment and the use of special approaches make it possible for patients who have crossed the 40-year mark to conceive a child with their own oocytes, without donation.

Clinical indicators of pregnancy after 40 years, according to the average data of reproductive clinics, are about 10-11%, and over 45 - already only 3%. And these are excellent numbers for a successful embryo implantation for patients with reduced ovarian reserve or low ovarian function.

Also, over the age of 43, the number of embryos available for transplantation becomes an important marker of the likelihood of pregnancy and live birth. Having more than 3 quality embryos immediately increases the likelihood of a normal pregnancy.

IVF in the natural cycle and IVF with minimal stimulation for 40-year-olds

Some clinics practice in vitro fertilization in the natural female cycle without hormonal stimulation of the maturation of good oocytes or mini-protocols with a minimum amount of hormones. These approaches are safer and more gentle than conventional IVF protocols. But they also have insignificant success rates, in contrast to just IVF. However, they are justified for patients under 40 years of age or for women with medical contraindications.

Many experts argue that it makes no sense for 40-year-old patients to waste time on gentle IVF protocols with low success. Since stimulation allows you to get up to 10 mature sex cells at once, and not 1-2, as in the natural cycle. Despite the fact that modern hormonal drugs are safe and effective, with practically no side effects.

 Methodology for the selection of the best genetic material, chromosome screening of embryos PGD / NGS, transplantation of only the best embryo, as well as the individual approach of doctors at the Feskov Human Reproduction Group guarantee 100% success!

Authors, contributors:

Elena Blazhko

published: 07 January 2021
updated   : 03 March 2023

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