More sex, acupuncture, and healthy diets are just some of the ways UK fertility expert Emma Cannon says will help women over 40 fall pregnant.
In a world where we’re told our fertility declines drastically as we approach our late 30’s, Emma Cannon is working overtime to educate women into thinking otherwise – and to not just think of IVF by itself as the only option. In 2004 she founded the Fertility Support Clinic, which helps women diagnose potential issues that may be preventing them from falling pregnant and has written a book, Fertile.
The Telegraph reports that in the UK, one in 28 babies are born to a mother over the age of 40 and Cannon begun to notice that general assumptions about ‘prime’ times to conceive were being proven wrong over and again as healthy and happy older women entered motherhood later.
In fact, older mothers – whether medically assisted or not to fall pregnant – are becoming so common that the trend even has its own catchphrase: ‘retirement babies’. Hollywood is leading the way of course: Geena Davis was 46 when she had her first child, Bette Midler was 41, and Janet Jackson announced her first pregnancy last year at 50.
Closer to home, and the number of women having babies over the age of 40 has almost doubled since 2002. In 2013 alone, almost 13,400 babies were born to Australian mums over the age of 40. A 62-year-old Tasmanian woman made headlines in August last year when she officially became the oldest Australian woman to give birth.
Booming careers, higher education and later marriages have seen a significant shift in societal norms: for many women, the ‘right time’ to have children is coming much later than it once was. However, the fact remains that conceiving at 40 is significantly more difficult than conceiving at a younger age.
Dr Peter Illingworth, president of the Fertility Society of Australia and medical director of IVF Australia, points out the cold hard facts on late-life pregnancies.
"Once a woman gets to 40, her fertility is about half that of a 33-year-old - but at 36 or 37, it's only a bit lower," he says, adding that by age 40 the chances of falling pregnant drop to 45 to 50% success rate.
So here is where Cannon’s teachings come in.
She is quick to point out that she is not an alternative option to IVF - rather, a supporting resource that provides additional advice on how to best improve your chances at pregnancy.
“We are told that a truth exists in science and, when it doesn’t work in areas of fertility, people feel really left down,” says Cannon to UK’s The Telegraph.
“What I’m advocating isn’t perfect either, but my clinic works in a more integrated way. We aren’t ruling out medicine, we are supporting it.”
Cannon’s focus is heavily on diet, exercise, sleep, and other aspects of our modern lifestyles.
“The older we get, the more important it is to address our lifestyle choices,” says Cannon.
“The rejuvenating and protective aspects of our body reduce. During the time when the eggs are suspended in the ovaries they come under the influence of the ovarian environment and there is a small window there where we can potentially make an impact on the quality of the eggs.”
This is possible, she says, by incorporating acupuncture, diets that promote gut health (such as fermented foods), and balancing out Melatonin levels by getting sunlight in the morning, and ditching screens at night.
But her biggest tip may also feel the most obvious: have more sex!
“I‘ve known patients who go for IVF who aren’t regularly having sex and aren’t given advice on regular sex,” Cannon says.
“But a lot of what I’m doing is about cultivating good health. Often people are prioritising everything but sex. They’ve created a joyless life for themselves and they’re doing endless yoga or furiously juicing and that isn’t working either. The more out of control we feel, the more out of control we can become with things like our diet.”
In a time of instant gratification, Cannon is aware of the reputation IVF has as the ‘quick fix’ solution to trying to conceive over 40. But for many of her patients, the struggle to fall pregnant came down to overhauling their general health.
And if Cannon’s teachings are anything to go by, it’s all about creating the prime environment for that to happen, whether naturally or via IVF.
You can find out more about Emma Cannon and her Fertility Support Clinic here.
Top Comments
If you are over 40 and are trying to fall pregnant for the first time - yes sure, healthy living etc may help, but is pure luck that you do conceive. The statistics are absolutely not in your favour and it is SO irresponsible of the ART industry to perpetuate this fairy story. I am bearing witness to a number of friends who are experiencing various degrees of success, and it is SO rephrensively irresponsible to promote the success of these celebrity pregnancies when they enlist ART ( but it is NEVER or barely mentioned). Beyoncé is putting herself out there as a fertility goddess but she had ART, and a lot of those other celebs had donated eggs! It is irresponsible to promote this narrative to the average woman.
I'm not sure how many reputable fertility clinics lie/mislead women about their chances. I know the clinic I go to is very clear on their success rates across the age groups and clearly state that over forty succes rates are pretty low, especially if you want to use your own eggs. They send out a regular newsletter and recently did an article on older celebrities falling pregnant and the likelihood they used donor eggs/embryos. They have certainly never used celebrity pregnancies to promote their services - and wouldn't even if they did have a celebrity patient. Doctor/patient confidentiality and all that.
I do see these insane claims from 'alternate' and 'holistic' clinics though. I'm really disappointed in this article, I didn't know mamamia was into advertising for unresearched, unproven fertility methods and preying on desperate women.
I mean the media, not the clinics. Although that Four Corners special on IVF was pretty revealing on how the industry is profit driven and there are practitioners out there who are happy for women (despite the slim chances) to keep throwing money at having another round.
There certainly are less scrupulous clinics out there. I think it is an industry that needs more regulation. I think I just get particularly angry at these 'alternative clinics' because they make false claims and charge a fortune for services that cannot be claimed on insurance and don't face any liability if/when their treatment proves to be completely useless.
Over here in the US, the ART industry is massive, and success results are published by law - people openly compare live birth rates with friends to determine which RE/fertility doctor to see. Maybe i'm naive, but it feels incredibly transparent, which is actually really comforting - i feel like i'm getting the cold, hard truth from my doctor, and not some fluffy "Everything is fine! You're young! Getting pregnant is a foregone conclusions!" comments.
IVF is the *opposite* of a quick fix. You don't just rock up to a fertility specialist's office and say "one IVF baby please!"
First you have to try to conceive for 6-12 months (depending on age), and then have a whole range of tests--blood tests, ovulation tests, sperm analysis, sometimes even a tubal flush and/or laparoscopy. Then you will get your referral, and first they will more than likely try you on ovulation induction tablets or injectables. You only go straight to IVF if you have known egg quality issues, sperm issues, etc, that ovulation alone will not fix.
IVF is mental torture. On top of the injections you self-administer, there's regular blood tests, appointments, disappointment, heartbreak, financial distress etc. It is not easy. It is not a quick fix. It is not for the faint hearted.