Busting the fertility myths
From IVF to egg freezing, what is the truth when it comes to conception? Brigid Moss finds some answers
Brigid Moss quashes the most common of pregnancy fallacies
Fertility is always news: every few months, there’s a new study or expert telling us something new (often depressing) about when to try for a baby. So what is the truth behind some of the common fertility myths?
MYTH: YOU MUST TRY FOR A BABY BY 30
Of course not, although women ‘leaving it too late’ is a regular headline. That’s because fertility experts, like Professor Geeta Nargund of Create Fertility, see women in clinics every day whose barriers to getting pregnant are caused by or made worse by age. Your egg reserve – and so chance of pregnancy – drops from the age of 30 and there is a “sharp decline after the age of 36”, says Professor Nargund. That said, we all know older mothers; birth figures from 2015 show 40-plus is the fastest-growing mum age group.
But where does that leave you, in your early thirties and not ready to try? You could fork out for a fertility test, a blood test and/or a scan of your ovaries to tell you your egg reserve. It doesn’t show other potential issues, for example ovulation problems, blocked tubes, endometriosis.
THE TAKEAWAY: The Zita West Fertility Home Test Kit is a blood test (£140; Zitawest.com). Create Fertility OneStop MOT is a 3D scan (from £200; Createhealth.org).
MYTH: WHEN YOU CAN’T GET PREGNANT, YOU NEED IVF
Not always. IVF is a life-changing technique that’s created more than 250,000 babies in the UK. “But many couples see IVF as a magic bullet to get pregnant,” says Zita West, founder of the Zita West Clinic. “Women who’ve been on the Pill from the age of 16 and come off it at 35 often know nothing about their natural cycles, so it’s about managing expectations in how long it takes to conceive. The average is eight months to a year. Having said that, if you’re 37, you may need to consider IVF sooner rather than later.”
THE TAKEAWAY: If you’ve been trying for over two years, get referred to a fertility specialist.
MYTH: IF YOU DON’T WANT A BABY YET, YOU HAVE TO FREEZE YOUR EGGS
Possibly. Like all things in fertility, it may depend on age: you have fewer eggs of less good quality after 35. “On average, eight out of 10 frozen eggs can now survive the thawing process with the fast freezing (vitrification) method,” says Professor Nargund. “A recent and highly scientifically rigorous study from Spain found frozen eggs to be equally as effective as fresh eggs in egg donation treatment.” Freezing embryos, though, is a more tried and tested technology.
THE TAKEAWAY: If you think you may want to freeze eggs or embryos, do it earlier. See Alice Mann’s story, right. Find out more on egg freezing at Redonline.co.uk.
MYTH: YOU CAN BECOME A MUM AT 45+, LIKE NICOLE KIDMAN AND JANET JACKSON
It’s possible… but it’s unlikely. From Halle Berry to
Julianne Moore, the most recent later-life mother to make headlines is Dame Julia Peyton-jones, 64, former director of the Serpentine Gallery, although, as is her right, she hasn’t made any details public.
“It’s really worth remembering that some of the famous women who have become mothers in their forties and even fifties have achieved this using surrogates, donor eggs – and in some cases both – or had eggs frozen when they were younger,” says Professor Nargund. Sadly, over half of pregnancies of women this age end in miscarriage.
THE TAKEAWAY: The chances of falling pregnant naturally over 45 is 3% or 4%.
MYTH: YOU NEED A FERTILITY MONITOR TO GET PREGNANT
Possibly. If you don’t know much about your cycle or fertile days (on average six per month) there are some whizzy new apps and gadgets, such as Duofertility (comes with real person support), Natural Cycles (monitors temperature) and Ava (a monitoring bracelet). The danger is, people get fixated on only having sex during their fertile period, says fertility expert Emma Cannon, but regular sex throughout the cycle is best for male and female fertility.
THE TAKEAWAY: Professor Nargund agrees: “Remaining relaxed and having sex regularly is an important first step when trying to fall pregnant naturally.”