Planning your pregnancy at the age of 40? Know the tips and tricks

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 good fertility consultant to understand the challenges

When should I consult fertility specialist?

Getting pregnant or difficulty in conceiving is a common problem for couples in India now-a-days. Usually fertility in young couples in their 20s and early 30s are at peak and gradually starts declining once anyone crosses 30 years of age. You may not get pregnant in the very first attempt; however even after trying naturally for 1 year if you are unable to conceive, then it is a matter of concern.

As an infertility specialist, over the years, I have seen more and more couples open up about their fertility problems. They are proactively seeking expert help about their reproductive health. It’s no longer a topic behind closed doors. We at Mother’s Lap IVF Centre, helps you to open frankly about your fertility problems, discuss concerns and seek the best medical solution for all your infertility problems. In this blog, I shall discuss on some guidelines that will help you decide when you should consult a fertility specialist.

Firstly the Age Factor:

If you are above 35 years old and have been trying to conceive naturally and failing for 6 months or more, visit a fertility specialist immediately. Women over the age of 35 years have a lesser chance of pregnancy even through assisted reproductive techniques, because the eggs may not be of the best quality at a later age. With age, other complications can also arise leading to a depleted ovarian reserve.

Secondly the Health Factor:

There are several health conditions that have adverse effects on the fertility potential of women. Thyroid disorder in women can lead to hormonal imbalances. Women who suffer from thyroid diseases are known to be affected with conditions like infertility, miscarriages, abnormalities in foetal brain development, etc. However, if the thyroid disorder is identified and the patient takes medication, then the woman can conceive through fertility treatment. During the treatment procedure, it is advised that you consult your fertility specialist regularly.

Women suffering from PCOS or endometriosis are advised to consult the fertility specialist when they decide to get pregnant. Endometriosis leads to an

The best infertility treatments at Mother's Lap IVF Centre

Many thanks to the advanced technology today infertility treatments are like God stepping

in the life for the all the couples who are unable to become parents on their own. All infertility treatments involve bringing the husband’s sperm and the wife’s egg together. This can take place in a woman’s womb or in a laboratory, and there are differing levels of complexity, care and techniques needed.

Let’s see below a short introduction to the 3 most common infertility treatments:

Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

IUI is usually the first line of treatment in most infertility cases. In this treatment, the wife is given hormones to help her ovulate (discharge mature eggs from the ovaries) at the right time, while the husband’s semen is collected, washed (motile sperms separated from the seminal fluid) and the sperms are then introduced into the wife’s uterus using a special sterile tube.

In-vitro fertilisation (IVF)

In IVF, after hormone treatment and an ultrasound to check ovulation, the woman’s egg is picked up and allowed to mingle with her husband’s sperms in a glass dish in the lab, and

Treating infertility

There has been immense change in the IVF technology itself. New methods for treating infertilityhave been introduced in recent years like; 

1) Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), is an assisted reproductive technology used to treat male infertility. This technique involves washing of the sperm and injecting the specially prepared sperm into the egg obtained from IVF 

2) Intrauterine Insemination (IUI); a procedure in which sperm is washed, concentrated, and then placed directly into the uterus. It is a relatively simple form of infertility treatment. It might be used unexplained infertility in males and females. 

3) Frozen Embryo Transfer(FET) It is a part of IVF process. Main part of IVF is the ET which is called Embryo Transfer which usually takes 10 to 15 days to be injected in woman’s womb. Spare embryos from your IVF treatment can be frozen for future use, depending on their

What are the other treatment options for infertility apart from IVF

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

There has been immense change in the IVF technology itself. New methods for treating infertility have been introduced in recent years like; 

1) Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), is an assisted reproductive technology used to treat male infertility. This technique involves washing of the sperm and injecting the specially prepared sperm into the egg obtained from IVF 

2) Intrauterine Insemination (IUI); a procedure in which sperm is washed, concentrated, and then placed directly into the uterus. It is a relatively simple form of infertility treatment. It might be used unexplained infertility in males and females. 

3) Frozen Embryo Transfer(FET) It is a part of IVF process. Main part of IVF is the ET which is called Embryo Transfer which usually takes 10 to 15 days to be injected in woman’s womb. Spare embryos from your IVF treatment can be frozen for future use, depending on their quality. Embryos can be stored for up to ten years for future treatment if your first cycle was unsuccessful or for siblings. 

4) Hormone Replacement Therapy in which some of the hormones like estrogen and progesterone gets replace that are reduced during and after the menopause;

Right age to be a mother

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

The trend of bearing child at later age has been catching up in India for a while now. The reason why parenthood is being post pone are many; but the most common reasons for delaying it are: to pursue education and build career, to achieve financial independence, availability of safe and effective contraception, and occasionally to maintain gap between babies. However, the best biologically age for child bearing is between the age of 20-35 years. After this age there might be difficulty in conceiving and the risks of miscarriage also rises up. 

Risk of miscarriage under 35 years is around 15% which increases to 20-35% at the age of 35-45 years and 50% in women of more than 45 years of age. If a woman of 25 to 30 years of age tries for pregnancy, then 75% of them will conceive naturally. While women aged around 35 years or above tries for pregnancy, then 66% of them might have chances of getting infertile due to less production of eggs in them. In that case IUI or IVF would be options available for them. 

Reason behind it is usually the number and quality of eggs decline with age. Studies have suggested, Live Birth rate after IVF treatment is around 32% in the age group less than 35 years which drops to 18% in age group 38-40 years and declines further to 5% beyond 42 years of age.  

Moreover, advanced age during pregnancy is associated with medical complications. Hence women should be encouraged to consider having family during

It’s not you but it’s him – the cause behind your infertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

I have came across many cases and seen that it comes as a shock to most men when they find out that it's because of their health issues they can’t make their wives pregnant. It is a kind of bitter pill to swallow for them when they get to know about it. If you can’t make your wife pregnant then you are suffering from male infertility. 

In most infertility cases we cannot ignore male factors as there is a very big myth that infertility is woman’s problem. We cannot rule out without doing tests of male partner too. It is the time to shift the spotlight away from women and their biological clocks and onto men. Male fertility is one of the few residual taboos as men just don't want to talk about infertility openly it could hit their masculinity. On the other hand women can talk about their infertility with their friends they can pour out their heart openly to doctors, family or friends but men cannot; not even with their close friends. 

Let’s figure out what are the all sorts of reasons behind male fertility: 

Low sperm count: Studies conducted in the past has shown the considerable results that men who use laptops on their laps for a prolonged time can have a reduced sperm count as laptops can cause scrotal hyperthermia (elevated testicle temperature) which can considerably affect the quality of sperm.  Scrotal temperature rose with the working and non-working computers. 

Poor diet patterns: If you don’t take sufficient amount of essential nutrients and drinks too much alcohol then it could also be a reason for your infertility as it can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems. 

Wearing too tight pants: In the name of fashion people don't realize that wearing tight trousers or skinny jeans could seriously damage one's health. It can cut off circulation, cause nerve damage, swelling of the ankles and feet and even fertility problems. Tight pants or skinny jeans do in fact damage the testicles, even cause low sperm count and infertility in men. It causes infertility problems in men by overheating of the crotch area,

Stay stress free to conceive

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Many researches has been done in the past which says that women with high levels of stress were 29% less likely to get pregnant each month than those women with lower levels. Stress causes infertility in women which means the inability of a woman to conceive after two years of constant efforts.  

When diagnosed with infertility, many couples feel helpless and no longer in control of their bodies or their life plan. They become stressed whereas men who work in night shifts affected more as compared to men working in morning shifts with infertility as their biological clock is very badly disturbed. They sleep during the day and to keep themselves awake, they often smoke, which damages the system further. The stress at work place and sitting for long hours at work stations is also found to reduce the sperm count. There are many factors that contribute to stress which further causes infertility like: 

• Marital disturbance 
• Job or business stress 
• Personal injury or illness 
• Death of close family member 
• Late marriages 

Women with hectic jobs are those most at risk, and are often most in denial about the stress in their lives. Stress not only causes infertility, it is one of the reasons for weight gain too. Many times stress may mess up our brain’s reward system and may cause us to crave more fat and sugar. Stress is not a good reason to treat oneself to a burger or chocolate or truck loads of ice cream. In fact, consuming high fat foods is more likely to lead to weight gain. Also, when we are stressed, we also may be more likely to drive through the fast food place, rather than taking the time and mental energy to plan and cook a meal. 

Stress is one of the major causes of obesity and even weight gain in today’s fast paced life. In fact, stress even makes it very difficult to produce optimum results if you are attempting to lose weight. Stress puts the body in ‘fight or flight’ mode from an evolutionary perspective and activates the sympathetic nervous system. This leads to the production of

Thank you All.!

Soha Ali Khan with Dr. Shobha Gupta

With the blessings of almighty and good wishes of each one of you; we hereby would like to Thank you all as our Mother’s Lap IVF centre awarded as the most trusted IVF centre in Delhi. Ravishing Awards 2015 presented by bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan to Mother's Lap IVF Centre as the most trusted IVF centre in Delhi. The award ceremony held at Orana Hotel and Resorts Gurgaon on 19 March 2016.  

The Mother’s Lap IVF centre is a world class advanced fertility, IVF and Surrogacy centre based in Pitampura, New Delhi. This Centre is the brightest ray of hope for all those couples who have been trying for years to conceive. The clinic provides the treatment to childless couples, also provides treatment for male and female infertility, diagnosis, counseling and many more under one roof. Mother’s Lap IVF gets all the investigations done; provide 4D Doppler studies, as well as all the drugs and injections are provided.  

We are available round the clock for all patients and even a petty issue regarding treatment can be discussed anytime. Every member of mother's lap family can be contacted at any point of time, may it be a nurse or a doctor.  

Dr. Shobha Gupta is the managing director of Mother’s Lap IVF centre (MBBS (LHMC) DGO (MAMC), MD in OBS & Gynae, Trained in ART under Justus Leibig University (Germany), Member of FOGSI, AOGD, IFS, IMA).  Mother's lap IVF centre is dedicated to every aspect of infertility treatment to help the patients to achieve pregnancy in the shortest possible time.   

Dr. Shobha has developed a passion for making the infertile patients conceive. According to her it is a very noble profession and this is the best gift in this world. She treats these cases as a challenge and derives joy from the successful cases.

Is stress making you infertile - a connection to consider seriously

Dr Shobha Gupta

Deccan Herald

There have been controversies from so long that whether stress can cause infertility or infertility causes stress. A new research conducted in US stated that stress causes infertility in women. Infertility is a term used to explain the inability of a woman to conceive after two years of constant efforts whereas the term Stress is the most over used word in today’s world. We can say that both stress and infertility are co-related terms.

Too much stress may cause infertility among women, says a new research conducted in US. Women with high levels of stress were 29% less likely to get pregnant each month than those women with lower levels, the researchers found. An estimated one in seven couple in India have fertility problems and mostly there is no known medical explanation. It is believed that 10% of the general population suffers from some form of infertility. India has a population of over 1.2 billion, the number of Indians suffering from infertility is huge. Of every 100 couples reporting to fertility clinics, 40 per cent are cases of male infertility, 50 per cent are of women, and the remaining 10 per cent of both partners being infertile.

If get diagnosed with infertility, many couples feel smashed out and blame their destiny which is no longer in control of them or their life plan. They become stressed.

Navbharat Times

Women with prolonged and hectic jobs are mostly at risk, and are often denied about the stress in their lives. Women often found more stressed than men. Trying to get pregnant adds more pressure on already stressed women. But thanks to technology due to which we have found the treatment for infertility through IVF or IUI. Today women as well as men are also trying stress management techniques to overcome this problem.

On the other hand, Men who work in night shifts affected more as compared to men working in morning shifts with infertility as their biological clock is very badly disturbed. They usually sleep during the day and to keep themselves awake,

These might be the reasons if you can’t get pregnant

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

Infertility is complex and stressful experience and going for IVF often causes more stress to women because of fear of conceiving or not. In vitreo fertilization or IVF is a technique use to treat infertility which is widely popular and acceptable now as more and more couples are seeking towards it. Before anything lets know some facts in India about infertility-

• An estimated one in seven couple in India have fertility problems and mostly there is no known medical explanation. 
• It is believed that 10% of the general population suffers from some form of infertility. 
• India has a population of over 1.2 billion, the number of Indians suffering from infertility is huge.
• Of every 100 couples reporting to fertility clinics, 40 per cent are cases of male infertility, 50 per cent are of women, and the remaining 10 per cent of both partners being infertile.

Now these might be the reasons for your infertility, read on:

1. You don’t have enough healthy eggs:

You’re born with a fixed number of eggs but the number and health of your eggs declines as you get older. In fact, a healthy and fertile 30-year-old has only 20 percent chances of getting pregnant each month, according to a report published in American Society for Reproductive Medicine. If you are consuming fertility drugs then number of eggs further decreases.

What to do: Optimizing egg health is a key, so gets to a healthy weight and if you smoke, quit now. Do not consume drugs for egg formation without IUI and IVF. Consult a good fertility centre and try to complete your family before 35 years of age.

2. It’s your partner’s problem:

Male infertility is responsible for up to one-third of infertility cases. If your partner is overweight, alcoholic or a smoker, it could be affecting your chances of getting pregnant. An infection or inflammation of the prostate glands might also be the cause.

 

What to do: Losing weight and quitting smoking are the keys, but it’s also important for your partner to

Be aware about the right age for your parenthood

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

There is a growing trend for child bearing at a later age not only in abroad but this trend has been catching up in India also for a while now. The reason why parenthood is being postpone are many; but the most common reasons for delaying it are: availability of safe and effective contraception, to pursue education and build career, to achieve financial independence and occasionally to maintain gap between babies. However, biologically the optimum period for child bearing is between the age of 20-35 years. After this age there might be difficulty in conceiving and the risks of miscarriage also rises up.  

Risk of miscarriage under 35 years is around 15% which increases to 20-35% at the age of 35-45 years and 50% in women of more than 45 years of age. If a woman of 30 years of age tries for pregnancy, then 75% of them will conceive naturally. While women aged around 35 years or more tries for pregnancy, then 66% of them might have chances of getting

5 Surprising Facts to know if you can’t get pregnant

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

It is estimated that globally between 60-80 million couples suffer from infertility every year, of which probably between 15- 20 million are in India alone says ICMR Bulletin. It could be very disappointing every month to get a negative pregnancy test especially when you are trying hard to get pregnant. But before assuming that in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be the only option, it’s important to know some of the very common causes of infertility.  

Here are the five possible facts why you might be struggling with infertility and what you can do about it.

1. You don’t have enough healthy eggs:

You’re born with a fixed number of eggs but the number and health of your eggs declines as you get older. In fact, a healthy and fertile 30-year-old has only 20 percent chances of getting

IVF IS A BLESSING

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

IVF has proved as a Blessing for modern day woman. In past few days trend of IVF and Surrogacy has seen an upliftment especially after actors Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan openly admits about having their baby through IVF. Production of sperm or eggs, with the Fallopian tubes or the uterus, endometriosis, frequent miscarriage, as well as hormonal and autoimmune (antibody) disorders in both men and women are the causes of infertility which pushes them back from being parents.

Women have lower pregnancy chances after 30. The fertility of a woman starts declining after she crosses 30 and men fertility too starts dropping after 35. The chances of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or chromosomal abnormality go up as you come of age in such couples. In such cases IVF support is very high.

DINK couple

With the approach of the twentieth century the world has witnessed a series of upheaval. The growth of the Dink’s (Double Income No Kids), reflecting the lives of those millions of couple who choose to be childless, have set a trend of modernity amongst the ambitious

YOGA FOR YOUR HEALTH

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

Try yoga workout to relax, better align your pelvis and increase blood flow. All factors that may help promote quicker conception.

Studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress, which can affect fertility. Some experts also believe that specific poses can help promote baby-making by increasing blood flow to your pelvis, stimulating hormone-producing glands, and releasing muscle