At the Arizona Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, we specialize in helping older women get pregnant, especially women who are over 40 years of age. We are almost at a 30 percent pregnancy rate for a single live birth, and our success rates with women in their 40s are consistently higher than nearby infertility centers.

As women get older, their egg production begins to diminish and the quality of their eggs also decline. Because of this, it becomes more difficult to retrieve viable eggs to use in fertilization. Once a woman has hit a certain age, many other centers will recommend using eggs donated by a younger woman. Several of the patients we work with have been turned down by other centers, so they come to us, and we are able to help them realize their dream of getting pregnant.

Dr. Timothy Gelety and the team at the Arizona Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility were able to help one woman, despite her age and other obstacles, get pregnant.

Her Story

With this particular patient, we were able to help her conceive a healthy baby using her own eggs at the age of 44. This woman had actually gotten pregnant several times, but had miscarried each time. Unfortunately, as women age, not only is it more difficult for them to get pregnant, but the chance of miscarrying increases.

When she came to us, we were able to help her conceive. And using our pre-implantation genetic diagnosis technology, we were able to analyze the fertilized embryos to make sure they were entirely healthy. This technology allows us to extend the reproductive rates to well beyond the age of 40 and greatly cut down the chance of her having a miscarriage.

The Obstacles

This woman’s story is doubly astounding. Age was the biggest obstacle in this patient getting and staying pregnant. But on top of that, she had been treated for breast cancer.

Sometimes cancer treatments, like chemotherapy or radiation, will decrease the number and quality of eggs a woman produces. Before this patient went through treatment for her breast cancer, we retrieved and froze her eggs in anticipation of potentially having to use in vitro later for her to get pregnant. So she underwent successful treatment for breast cancer, was still able to get pregnant with her own eggs, and went on to have a healthy baby.

The Arizona Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility is known for helping older women get pregnant using their own eggs. Egg donation is always an option for older women, but we work extremely hard to help our patients who want to have their own genetic offspring.

For some couples and women who already have their own children, egg donation might not be a particular contention point. For example, an older woman who has already had children, but wants to have a baby at an older age with a new husband, may be much more amendable to using an egg donor. But in this woman’s case, because she was a single mom, it was very important to her to have her own egg and offspring.

If age has become a factor in your ability to get pregnant, contact the Arizona Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility today by visiting us online or calling 520-326-0001. Our proven success has made us one of the best clinics in the country, and we look forward to helping you achieve your pregnancy goals.