Can I get pregnant at 34?

I just remarried at 34 years of age. I want to know if I can still get pregnant.

Naomi (by SMS)

Although it is not possible for you to get pregnant biologically at 34, many women get pregnant during their 30s through assisted means. Even at that, as women get older, their chance of having a baby with any chromosomal abnormality (such as Down Syndrome) increases.

There are genetic screening tests you can do to more accurately assess your fetus’ risk if you desire. With expert consultation, it is still possible for you to get pregnant through assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). These are medical procedures that can help people get pregnant without s3xual intercourse.

Some examples of ARTs include: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) A simple form of ART that involves inserting washed sperm into a woman’s uterus. In vitro fertilization (IVF) A common ART that involves mixing eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish to fertilize, then transferring the fertilized eggs to the uterus. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) An ART that involves injecting a single sperm into an egg.  ICSI can be used during IVF to help fertilize an egg. Egg freezing.

An ART that involves preserving eggs harvested from a woman’s ovaries to be fertilized at a later date. Gestational carrier. A woman who carries a pregnancy in her uterus but is not the genetic parent. The fertilized eggs of the prospective parents are transferred to the uterus of the gestational carrier.

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