Introduction:
In today’s society, many people choose to postpone motherhood for a variety of reasons, including job growth, financial stability, and personal aspirations. While this trend encourages individuals to follow their goals, it also emphasises the significance of smart family planning. Planning for a child later in life requires distinct considerations and potential problems; thus, preconception consultation with an appropriate specialist is an important step in motherhood.
Addressing Underlying Health Conditions:
During preconception counselling, couples can address any underlying health issues that may impact fertility or pregnancy outcomes. Conditions including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, thyroid issues, and reproductive organ anomalies can all have an influence on fertility and need specific treatment. Fertility specialists can assist patients in overcoming these hurdles and improving their chances of pregnancy by conducting a thorough examination, doing all the necessary investigations, and developing tailor-made programs in terms of weight loss or any ailments that need further control before planning pregnancy.
Preconceptional counselling involves consulting a fertility expert before conception to improve reproductive health and increase the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy. This comprehensive approach tackles numerous elements of fertility, such as lifestyle choices, medical history, genetic testing, and fertility preservation alternatives. Couples may confidently navigate the complexity of family planning when they work with a fertility expert.
Age-related fertility challenges:
As people age, both male and female fertility declines, with a steady drop in reproductive capacity and an increasing chance of infertility. Women’s ovarian reserve and egg quality drop, and men’s sperm quality and quantity may decrease. Couples who meet with a fertility expert can examine their reproductive health and explore proactive strategies to improve fertility results. If the tests show that the fertility potential has gone down, you should take appropriate steps immediately. If the fertility status is good, then you can be reassured that you can comfortably delay the pregnancy in case you are not planning. If you are in the borderline range, you can think of egg freezing.
Genetic counselling and screening are essential for couples considering having a baby later in life to determine the risk of hereditary illnesses and chromosomal abnormalities. Certain genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, and cystic fibrosis,.
Couples who get genetic testing and counselling can make educated decisions regarding family planning, including the possibility of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) during assisted reproductive treatments.
Couples may explore fertility preservation strategies to delay pregnancy for personal or medical reasons. Women who expect to have children later in life may choose to consider egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) as a way to preserve their fertility. Similarly, men might explore sperm banking to save their sperm quality and viability for future use. Individuals who approach fertility preservation proactively can maintain reproductive autonomy and parental possibilities later in life.
Planning for a child later in life allows people to follow their dreams and objectives before beginning a family. However, in order to maximise reproductive health and fertility potential, this decision must be carefully considered and implemented. Pre-conceptional counselling with a fertility specialist can provide vital advice and support, addressing age-related reproductive issues, underlying health concerns, genetic considerations, and fertility preservation strategies. Couples can confidently begin on their route to motherhood by taking proactive precautions and obtaining professional counsel.
(The author, Dr. Lakshmi Chirumamilla, is a Fertility Consultant, at Nova IVF Fertility, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.)
