Is it too late for you to have a baby?

Apr 24 2008 by Gregory Tindle, South Wales Echo

KARYN Lonsdale is one of a growing number of women in Wales who are leaving it later in life to start a family. She joins nearly one in five who now wait until their mid 30s to have a baby.

At 33, Karyn is determined that one day she will have a child – when she meets the right man and settles down in a stable relationship.

Until that time comes Karyn has no idea whether she’ll be able to have a baby or not, as the older she gets the less chance she has to conceive naturally.

But for Karyn and thousands of other women in her situation that may be about to change with a pioneering new fertility programme launched in Cardiff.

Womens’ doubts over their ability to get pregnant – mainly among those who have put their careers first – are at the centre of the medical checks which are able to predict whether they have left it too late or there is still time left for a baby.

The project has been launched at the Spire Hospital in Cardiff – formerly BUPA – where, for £350, women can put their minds at rest on the level of their fertility.

Karyn, a health worker in Cardiff said: “Most women like me take it for granted they can have a baby when it suits them and use contraception while they concentrate on their careers, seeking promotion or taking time out to travel.

“I have dedicated myself to my work but definitely want to start a family – a traditional family with a husband, someone I can spend the rest of my life with, I want the whole package of family life. Until that time comes I also want to know that I haven’t left it too late to get pregnant. I want the reassurance and peace of mind that my ovaries are still healthy and in working order.”

So far Karyn is still waiting for a complete set of results from her tests having undergone the initial blood hormone check which is then followed by an internal scan to look at the fertility of her ovaries.

“At the moment I know I’m a healthy 33-year-old and the tests are looking positive. I think the £350 this costs is worth the money – especially when you compare it to the thousands it can cost for private infertility treatment.”

Dr Bryan Beattie, a expert in foetal medicine who has organised the “My Body Clock” project with Dr Tony Griffiths, a consultant gynaecologist, said: “This test can also apply to women in their mid 20s who may have a poor reserve of eggs but it will certainly apply to women in their mid 30s when figures show they are starting to leave it too late to start a family.

“It’s not only a test for a woman’s reserve of eggs but also the quality of these eggs. If a woman has a poor reserve of eggs and does not want to start a family, drugs can be given to stimulate the production of eggs which can then be frozen and used at a later date. This also applies to women who may be undergoing cancer treatment where the radiotherapy or chemotherapy will affect their fertility. Eggs before this treatment can be retrieved and frozen to be used at a later date.

“One of the positive points of the check is it can be done on a regular basis to test if there has been any deterioration of the ovaries and inform a woman that she should not leave it any longer before starting a family. My general advice to women is don’t leave it too late to start a family but if you get yourself checked it could avoid a lot of anxiety or disappointment in the future.”

Dr Beattie said: “An average 30-year-old woman has a 20 per cent chance of getting pregnant each month but by the time she is 40 it is only five per cent a month.”