A woman’s eggs start to lose their reproductive capacity from the age of 35 in a natural and irreversible way
The day that Alice discovered she could be a mother thanks to the eggs of another woman was the happiest day of her life. At the age of 34, she had tried to conceive naturally for a long time without being able to, so eventually she decided to find out what her options were. After consulting an assisted reproductive specialist she realised that egg donation treatment might help her fulfil her dream of being a mother.
Alice´s eggs started to lose their reproductive capacity from the age of 35, like any other woman’s eggs. This is a natural and irreversible process which can only be halted by freezing the eggs some years earlier. Cell deterioration increases between the age of 35 and 45.
However, from the age of 43, it is advisable for a woman to use a donor’s eggs to become pregnant. After the age of 46, in vitro fertilisation technology using the woman’s own eggs to become pregnant is no longer used, since the possibilities of success are very low.
Probabilities of conceiving
A young woman’s eggs are a good solution: they vastly increase the possibilities of becoming pregnant and converting what seemed impossible years ago into a reality: achieving a pregnancy beyond a fertile age.
Despite their age, some women prefer to try and become pregnant through a treatment in which their own eggs are used rather than using a donor. Three out of every ten women over the age of 40 succeed. Eugin is aware of the desires of its patients and we respect their decision and in all cases provide them with information about their chances of becoming pregnant and the risks that may be involved in relation to their age- such as a miscarriage or problems suffered by the foetus-.
However in other cases, this option is not possible. In Alice’s case, she admits that she found it difficult to come to terms with the idea of not being able to use her own eggs, but over time, she realised that egg donation was the best option to allow her to fulfil her dream of conceiving a child. In the end, Alice finally became pregnant, like six out of every ten women her age who try to achieve this with egg donation treatments.
At all events, the medical team will advise the woman about the treatment that is most suitable for her, depending on her age and her medical history, in all cases taking into consideration the real probabilities of achieving a pregnancy.
