Do you want to know the tips and tricks how you can plan your pregnancy at the age of 40?

In today’s time women are more career oriented and looks towards financial stability first in their life. And not only women, men are also in no hurry to start a family any time soon; career has taken the front seat; hence given the rise to DINK couples(double income and no kids). As a result more women are getting married around 30-35 years of age or even later. Due to this, the mean age at first pregnancy is also slowly rising, with many women approaching Fertility Clinics for the first time at the age of 40 years for help in conceiving.

Delaying pregnancy sometimes leads to miscarriage or even infertility. With increasing age in females, the ovarian reserve or the number of eggs that a lady has, reduces drastically translating into decreased chances of natural pregnancy. Moreover there is a rapid decline in quality of eggs too due to which the chances of miscarriages also may increase. Research has shown that a 40 year old female seeking fertility has only 25 % chance of pregnancy with own eggs and it decreases to 1.6% at age of 44. If she conceives, the risk of miscarriage is around 25% at 40 years and around 50% at 44 years.

At the age of 40 and above, the incidence of medical problems like Diabetes Mellitus, High Blood Pressure is more. These may get aggravated during the course of a pregnancy. If a lady gets pregnant with her own eggs at the age of 40, the chances of having genetic problems is more. This risk can be reduced by opting for donor eggs as these eggs are of a much younger lady. 

What are the Tips and Tricks to get pregnant at the age of 40?

1. Do not wait too long for natural conception: Several studies have shown that the chances of conceiving naturally is as low as 5-10 %the age of 40. This can be attributed to the diminished quality of eggs at this age.

2.Approach a Fertility Consultant for guidance: You should visit a best fertility consultant to understand the challenges of child bearing at this age,

Breastfeeding after an IVF delivery

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Breastfeeding comes to mothers naturally. However, this is not entirely true in many cases. After delivery the mother’s body undergoes a lot of changes that can make breastfeeding difficult. But this not at all means that you should give up on breastfeeding. Mothers who undergo a C-section or IVF delivery might face problems during breastfeeding. Stress, hormonal imbalances and fatigue ae very normal for such mothers that can lead interfere with breast milk production. 

Please go by the following tips that help in overcoming issues with breastfeeding: 

1. Omit stress from your life – First of all stop taking too much stress. Though it is very normal to feel stressed out after delivery especially if it’s your first baby. But stress at this time could hamper breastfeeding. Remember, a stressful mother will often find it difficult to lactate or even help the baby latch on correctly. Practice deep breathing or take bath in your tub feel the water and try to do everything that keeps you calm and relaxed.

2. Take small breaks from breastfeeding - . If your child keeps on suckling frequently, production of milk could be hampered though suckling helps to produce milk but sitting for long hours with the baby at your breast can only make it more stressful and hampers with breast milk production. So, take small breaks after feeding; let the milk production begin