When raising even one child with a good quality of life isn’t easy, many modern parents choose to take time to build their careers and finances first before starting a family. But the problem is—by the time they’re ready, conceiving doesn’t happen as easily as they imagined. Once you’ve passed your 30s and entered your 40s, getting pregnant naturally—especially at 40—becomes even more difficult. Though the road to having a child may be rough and full of obstacles, don’t give up just yet. Read about the journey of Mama Nana’s pregnancy at 40 to find strength and encouragement, especially for couples trying to conceive.
Pregnant at 40: What Tests Are Needed?
This pregnancy was tough, but I gave it my all! Today I’d like to share my very hard pregnancy journey as a 40-year-old mom. Hopefully, it will be an encouragement to other families trying to have a child. My story of getting pregnant at 40 began with a laparoscopic surgery to remove a uterine fibroid, chocolate cyst, and uterine adhesions. The doctor even joked that I had three conditions removed in one surgery.
Six months after the operation, I began consulting with a fertility specialist for ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection). At this age, conceiving naturally wasn’t an option anymore—we had already tried for years with no success.
Undergoing IVF isn’t instant. The doctor needs to examine the body, both externally and internally, especially the reproductive system. They check the uterus, menstrual cycle, egg count, underlying health issues, etc. I had to undergo a full body check-up, and my husband also had to get checked—especially for sperm health and count.
Pregnant at 40: Preparing the Uterus for Conception
At the end of 2022, an internal exam revealed a fibroid in my uterus. The first doctor I saw, a gynecologist and infertility specialist, told me that if I wanted to go through IVF, I had to remove the fibroid first—it was growing quickly. He gave me two surgery options:
- Open surgery, similar to a C-section. This would require a long recovery time, waiting until both the incision and uterus were fully healed—about a year—before beginning the IVF process.
- Laparoscopic surgery, with minimal pain and a short recovery—back to work within a week. But the uterus would still need about 6 months to fully heal before starting fertility treatment.
My husband and I aimed for the laparoscopic option, but the doctor still recommended open surgery. We couldn’t wait, so we requested the ultrasound results and a medical certificate, then changed hospitals. Luckily, a coworker recommended a new doctor—an excellent, experienced specialist in women’s health.
At the beginning of 2023, I underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove the uterine fibroid. The surgeon removed three problem areas: the fibroid, uterine adhesions, and a chocolate cyst. However, one fibroid was left behind because it was too close to the uterus; removing it could have caused a large wound or uterine damage. This meant I had to extend my recovery time. The remaining fibroid would grow along with the pregnancy, if I conceived. When that time comes, we’ll have to see if I can handle it.
Laparoscopic surgery was expensive, but the pain was minimal and there were no visible scars. You couldn’t tell I had ever had surgery. I stayed in the hospital for one night. The next morning, the doctor checked the incision, and by mid-morning, I was discharged and went home.
After the surgery, my husband and I started visiting hospitals and doctors again to pursue IVF. As if the universe was listening—two months into our search, I was assigned to write a sponsored article about a fertility clinic. From writing content for a client, I became an actual patient.
But going through IVF wasn’t easy for my case. The major challenge was “the egg.” At my age, expecting to have hundreds of eggs like a young woman is unrealistic—it was extremely difficult. In this case, even divine intervention couldn’t make it easier.
Egg Stimulation > Egg Retrieval > Embryo Culturing
I went through a month-long egg stimulation process, while my husband breezed through sperm collection—he had strong, healthy sperm ready to go. As for egg stimulation, it involved hormone treatments in various forms: oral medication, vaginal suppositories, and daily injections in the abdomen, alternating left and right. I also had ultrasounds every three days to monitor egg development.
On egg retrieval day, the doctor collected four eggs. One was immature, one degenerated, and two were viable for embryo culture in the lab (blastocyst stage). During the embryo culturing phase, the clinic gave daily updates. In the end, we were left with just one viable embryo—with perfect chromosomes. This little one was the champion, the winner—ready to be transferred into my womb. Because I only had one embryo, the anxiety kicked in: would it implant and grow successfully?
Embryo Transfer
The doctor said that about 5–6 days after egg retrieval, if everything looked good, we could move on to embryo transfer. But I asked to wait a month before the transfer so I could finish some work. For anyone planning IVF, here’s something helpful: there are two embryo transfer options—fresh embryo transfer, which happens within 5–6 days after egg retrieval, and frozen embryo transfer, which happens later. In my case, we did a frozen transfer one month after egg retrieval.
I returned to the doctor to begin the transfer process. He prescribed oral and vaginal medications to help thicken and strengthen my uterine lining. If the lining isn’t thick enough, the embryo won’t be able to implant and will eventually be lost. The target thickness is over 8mm. After following the medication plan, my ultrasound showed that my lining was 10mm—ready for transfer. So we scheduled the embryo transfer.
For this round, I wasn’t sedated like during the fibroid surgery or egg retrieval. I was fully conscious during the procedure—which was terrifying since I had no idea what to expect. The embryo transfer took place during the third week of October, the same year I had surgery for my fibroids. The transfer went smoothly, and to be honest—it didn’t hurt. The embryo was placed into my uterus in under five minutes.
Then came the dreaded wait: 14 days to find out if the embryo implanted successfully. Many people say you have to lie completely still during this time, but that’s not always true. My doctor said everyone’s body is different. In my case, he advised me not to stay in bed all day but also gave strict limits—only go up and down the stairs once per day, walk slowly, no running, no exercise, no straining when using the toilet, no constipation, and no sitting for long periods without moving.
I was incredibly stressed. The worry came from not knowing whether the embryo had implanted or not. I kept questioning if I had done something wrong in those 14 days. It felt like the longest two weeks of my life—full of fear and anxiety. If the embryo didn’t stick, we’d have to start IVF all over again—from step one. And I had no leftover eggs from the first retrieval. I didn’t even know if I’d be able to produce any eggs at all if we had to try again.
Full of Joy: Successfully Pregnant at 40—It’s Real!
Pregnant at 40 is real! After the 14-day wait, the doctor scheduled a blood test to check my pregnancy hormones. And guess what? God’s favor was truly with me—I was pregnant! The doctor said I was 4 weeks along, counting from the first day of my last period before embryo transfer. He also said I was one of the lucky cases—it worked on my first IVF attempt despite my age, my limited egg count, and my overall health condition. At almost 40, I had nearly lost hope.
I had to continue taking hormonal medication: oral, vaginal, and injectable. While taking pills and suppositories was manageable, injecting myself in the abdomen? Still just as nerve-wracking and painful as before—even with the smallest needle.
Heart Sinks: Threatened Miscarriage Scare
At week 7, I started experiencing aversions—I couldn’t stand the smell of rice, vegetables, or even fruits. The doctor said it was a sign of morning sickness. But that wasn’t all—I also started bleeding. The doctor diagnosed it as a threatened miscarriage. From being overjoyed, I suddenly felt like I was hanging by a thread. The doctor ordered me to stop all activities that might affect the pregnancy. Any strain could result in a miscarriage.
Originally published on theAsianparent Thailand
