I couldn’t agree more with this article I read  by Charlotte Metcalf about older women getting pregnant naturally. At the clinic we see many women over 40 who have had unsuccessful IVF cycles, but then go on to get pregnant naturally having been told to give up as it will never happen. The focus tends to be on negatives, frightening low statistics and medical mechanics. There are so many factors that need to be considered, not just age.

Focus needs to be put on lifestyle, diet and nutrition, stress reduction techniques, emotional and psychological support, and looking at a woman’s mind set. We are always thrilled to get a phone call to say ‘I can’t believe it, I’m pregnant! It’s a miracle!’ Older women are faced with so many negatives about their age and statistics on miscarriage once they get pregnant, leaving them very anxious as a result.

A woman needs to feel that she is doing everything she can to have her own genetic child.

Things you can do to help:

1.At our clinic, we find the biggest factor in older women is lack of sex. They stop having sex because they are told getting pregnant will never happen. It is important to keep trying. Cycles can become more irregular so it may be harder to pinpoint a fertile window. That window of six days is still the same length whether you are age 30 or 40 it is the daily chances of conception that are reduced with age. .

2.Can egg quality be improved? You can improve the environment the eggs are developing in. The older you are, the more profound. The aging process on cells causes free radical damage so boosting your diet with antioxidant rich foods as well as taking antioxidants like my Vitafem Boost can help.

3.Exercise to get your blood flow going. Many women we see have stopped exercising as they are trying for a baby, and some have started to put on weight as a result. Weight can affect fertility, so losing the excess can help.

4.We use a lot of acupuncture at the clinic to help with blood flow. There are many studies that show this helps by reducing stress and boosting the circulation.

5. The mind set of women who have been faced with many negative messages from voices of authority is very depleting. Positive visualisation and hypnotherapy can help them cope and feel more positive.

6.Make sure you are aware of any underlying medical issues that need addressing. Have tests to check if you are anemic, if your thyroid is normal, to check for infections and to check any immune factors (although this remains quite a controversial area). We tell women that they have to feel they have ticked all the boxes to have their own genetic child before moving on.

You’ve just received your AMH test results…low egg reserve, menopause, egg donation – six words a woman does not want to hear, especially in one sentence. And just to rub some more salt into the wound, these words may then be followed by ‘you will not be able to have your own genetic child’. Devastating. But a low AMH reading doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t get pregnant. We are conducting an audit at the Zita West Clinic on AMH levels below 5 and pregnancy outcome to help determine how many women are getting pregnant naturally with a low ovarian reserve.

Anti-mullerian (AMH) is a substance produced by the resting follicles in the ovaries which diminishes as a woman ages. An AMH test helps to assess the ovarian reserve which gives an indication of a woman’s fertility potential. We use the test at the clinic as part of our Fertility MOT check. The AMH test is a blood test that can be taken at anytime of the month. The test indicates a woman’s egg reserve on a scale of 0-67 – the higher the number the better.

Some women find the test useful when they are thinking of having a baby to help determine how long they should try to conceive naturally. Others use it as an indicator to verify whether to have another IVF cycle or not (IVF is very expensive and it’s often worthwhile to know what the chances are of the cycle being successful). However for every test there will be a result – and that could be good or not such good news and you may need support in interpreting the results and planning the way forward. For some women it may be appropriate to consider prioritising planning pregnancy or even moving to a more assisted route sooner rather than later. However, I’m always concerned for women who do not have a partner and take the test to find out what their future fertility is looking like, because if it is discovered that they have a low ovarian reserve, it can often cause stress and angst in a future relationship.

If we see a woman who has a low AMH level – that is 5 or less – we explore, discuss and plan the next steps to optimise her chances of having a baby. This may include the following:

1. Looking at the mind & body and improving any negative perceptions through the use of hypnotherapy. If a woman receives bad news about her ovarian reserve, her mindset becomes very negative and she tends to spiral down. Shock and devastation takes over and she can be left feeling helpless. This thinking can often lead to women giving up on sex, but I urge you to have as much sex as you can as we have seen many cases where a woman with a low AMH level has conceived naturally. 

2. Acupuncture. We believe that acupuncture may help improve blood flow to the ovaries, as this reduces significantly with age. It also helps a woman to relax and give her a greater sense of well-being.

3. Nutrition. Many women we see know a lot about diets but not enough about nutrition in relation to fertility. I’m aware that a woman is born with all the eggs she is ever going to have, but I do believe you can improve the environment that the existing eggs are growing in by exploring and incorporating ‘anti –ageing’ foods and nutrients into your diet. This may involve the use of DHEA, yet this is not suitable for everyone.

Dehydroepiandrostene (DHEA) is a steroid hormone synthesised in the body from cholesterol by the adrenal glands. It is also produced by the ovaries and testes, in fatty tissue and in the brain. Levels decrease with age and it is for this reason that researchers have suggested that supplementation of DHEA may be helpful to counteract the effects of ageing. A recent study published this year by the Tel Aviv University, confirms previously published research by New York City’s Centre for Human Reproduction that the supplementation of DHEA can improve fertility in women with diminished ovarian reserve and also increase the likelihood of conception with IVF approximately threefold. However, as previously mentioned, DHEA is not for everyone.

There’s no doubt that if a woman receives a not so great AMH test result it can be very upsetting. So it’s about being proactive, moving forward and making sure that you are doing everything you can to increase your chances of having your own genetic child before, if required, moving onto other means of assisted fertility such as egg donation.