Women are constantly told their biological clocks are ticking, so for those planning to have a baby after 40, it may feel like time has already run out.
Fortunately, over the years, through donors, fertility treatments and surrogates, families who want children at a later age still have ways to get pregnant.
Heidi Hayes, CEO of frozen donor egg bank Donor Egg Bank USA says while celebs like Halle Berry and Kelly Preston make pregnancy in your 40s look easy, women tend to navigate through many conflicting messages.
"What some women don’t know is that pregnancy in their 40s isn't as easy as one might think. I experienced my own personal struggle with infertility, and was able to have a family through adoption and using a donor egg," Hayes says.
In Canada, 16 per cent of people say infertility in a growing problem, according to Health Canada, but assisted human reproduction can help families during this time of stress. Options like ovulation-inducing drugs, artificial insemination, and assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfers, are all available, though not necessarily covered by health insurance.
Hayes recommends talking to a fertility doctor to know the types of options you have. And while a lot of focus tends to be on infertility and women, some men can also be infertile. In Canada, three times out of 10, men have fertility issues, and studies have shown factors like smoking, excessive stress and age can all contribute to male infertility.
Here are 10 things Hayes wish someone had told her when she was trying to conceive:
