Increased risk of miscarriage with age

Several researches have been conducted on this subject and they have proven that, in addition to lowering the chance of becoming pregnant, as women age they also have a higher chance of miscarriage. What are the reasons for this?  It is proven that the longer an egg sits in the ovary, the more likely it is to develop abnormalities in its chromosomes. This is because mutations are happening inside the ovarian cell all the time. Chromosomes are replacing or loosing some parts and this could become a problem if the process is being active for too many years. If an egg with abnormal chromosomes is fertilized, the chances that the resulting pregnancy will end in miscarriage are greater. Statistic data is saying that a young woman has only a 12-15% chance of having a miscarriage each time she becomes pregnant, while a woman in her 40s hasa 50% risk of miscarriage.

Fertility tests

FSH test

There are several tests which are made to determine the fertility levels. The most important test which is made to determine a woman's fertility level is a blood test called FSH- Follicle Stimulating Hormone. This hormone is made in a gland near the brain, called the pituitary. It is the most important hormone responsible for the cyclic development of eggs every month. As a woman's eggs become less capable of producing a pregnancy, the levels of follicle stimulating hormone begin to rise. Therefore, FSH generally increases in women as they get older. Women who have gone through menopause have very high levels of FSH. This can be determined via simple blood test. The blood should be drawn on the third day of the menstrual cycle. What are the normal levels?

• Normal level for FSH on day 3 is less than 7 IU.
• Levels between 7 and 12 are considered elevated but women with such levels have been able to achieve pregnancy.
• Women with levels consistently over 12 have an extremely poor chance of achieving pregnancy.

What does a semen analysis analyze?

The complete semen analysis includes:

• Volume of the semen
• Sperm count (the amount of sperm in a certain volume of semen, also known as the sperm concentration or sperm density)
• Sperm size and shape (morphology)
• Sperm motility (percentage of actively moving sperm)

Normal findings are:

• Volume: 3 milliliters (2 to 6 mL range considered normal)
• Concentration: 20 million sperm or more per milliliter
• Motility: 50% of sperm still active after two hours
• Normal forms/appearance: 60% of the sperm
• Viscosity - ejaculate normally liquefies within an hour
• pH: 7 to 8