Wanting pregnancy past 40

Question: i plan to settle down but would want a child.. i guess as my kids grow older I realise my mother instintct will always be there..  I still want to get pregnant.  being 40 turning 41, i know the chances are little. I am even considering IVF.. but hopefully i won,t have to resort to that.. I still have periods regularly.. di na nga lang ako nabubuntis.. 

do i need to quit smoking? do i need to take on less pressure?  do i need to exercise, avoid alcohol? any supplements?  I will go through the tests on the 29th but hopefully I can lower the costs.. di na covered dito those treatments pag 40 na ang babae..

i know you are no longer a clinician but you still have friends in the ob-gyn field,  hopefully you can refer me to another doctor who can help me at least bear one child -. di pa nman ako menopause..

and if I need to go thru IVF or that intra uterine thing, (wag nman sana 12k for the IVF.. the intra uterine something is less expensive.. )  but i am bent on having a baby..  my kids are all grown ups.. yoko tumanda mag isa...

Thanks & regards,

Doc G: With a little knowledge of your past medical history: having had blood problems, thyroid problems (?), other medical conditions, being a smoker, and age of more than 35, will put you in a high risk condition should you become pregnant--naturally or artificially. As more women age, the chances of becoming pregnant decrease.

In such a case, you must be aware that these risk factors could put your life and your would-be baby at risk. What this means is that it is not altogether safe to be pregnant with such background, although other pregnant women with greater health problems came out without problems. It is, therefore, better to be equipped with information.

Nonetheless, your concerns are understandable, but still I suggest that you decide on it with great caution.

I am not familiar with in vitro fertilization (IVF) specialists abroad. In the Philippines, the IVF specialists are: Dr Pastorfide (Cardinal Santos Gen Hosp and Makati Medical Center), Dr Almeda (UERM), and Dr Manalo (Makati Medical Center). The procedure costs about one million pesos.

Clean living with less stress could increase the chances of pregnancy. Needless to say, quitting smoking, alcohol, and engaging in physical exercises are ways to clean living. The pressure to become pregnant will decrease the chance to conceive.

I hope I answered your concerns. Please keep me posted. Thanks.