Becoming a birth mother over 40 can still be risky

There’s a new trend in parenting. Some women are reaching their mid-40’s and feeling the desire to carry a baby. “Egg donation and fertility treatments make having children in your 40’s more possible. But you start getting into progressive difficulties for mother and child,” said Dr. Ingrid A. Rodi, a Santa Monica fertility specialist. Births for U.S.-born women ages 40 to 44 have tripled since 1982, according to a recently published report from the Public Policy Institute of California.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is becoming popular – but women should know that aging eggs contribute to infertility and miscarriages, and are more likely to have chromosomal abnormalities. Egg donation is a great option for women who have difficulties with their own eggs.

“Because it’s so reliable, the number of women getting egg donation is going up every year,” Rodi said. “And that is contributing significantly to the number of pregnancies in women in their 40s.”

“Donor eggs also eliminate some of the risks associated with older childbearing”, said Dr. Richard Paulson, chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.