Gwen Stefani may be pushing 50, but she and Blake Shelton, 41, are reportedly “incredibly hopeful” that they’ll get pregnant with a baby soon. The two began trying hard for a baby last year, according to a new report by US Weekly. We spoke with with Dr. Sherry A. Ross, a women’s health expert and author of She-logy, EXCLUSIVELY about the couple’s chances of conceiving, given that Gwen is 48 years old. “Anything is possible when it comes to getting pregnant and delivering a healthy, full term baby,” Dr. Ross said. “The age of the mom is the most important factor in determining the likelihood of getting … and staying pregnant using your own eggs. But the reality is the likelihood of a women getting and staying pregnant at 47 is less than 1 percent.” Click here to see pics of Gwen and Blake’s milestones.
Dr. Ross explained that after 35, a woman’s fertility declines quickly, especially as they near 40. “Fertility decreases by as much as 95 percent in women between 40 and 45 years of age,” she said. “Those women we see who are newly pregnant over the age of 44 have often used a donor egg or have frozen their younger and healthier eggs.” Dr. Ross went on to explain how in vitro fertilization could help Gwen and Blake. “An infertility specialist will not perform an IVF cycle on a woman over the age of 44 using her own eggs, since the success rate is incredibly low,” she said. “If a woman is over the age of 44 it’s recommended that she use a donor egg since the success rate is so much higher.” The doctor explained if a woman froze her eggs “between 31 and 38 she should have a great supply of healthy eggs ready to be used at any age.” “If a woman is healthy at 48 she could use healthy eggs to use to get pregnant successfully,” she added.
“Infertility doctors have statistics showing the success rate of doing IVF on woman at every age,” she continued. “Women over the age of 40 have a much lower success rate than those women less than 40. As an example, women 38 to 40 have a 21 percent success rate, women 41 to 42 have an 11 percent success rate, and women over 43 have a 5 percent success rate of getting pregnant through IVF.” The doctor noted that these statistics are for women using their own eggs over 43. “Women over 44 have a 95 percent chance of having eggs with chromosomal abnormalities which results in a miscarriage,” she said. “If they use a healthy donor egg over 43 they will have a 40 to 50 percent chance of getting pregnant with a successful pregnancy.”
Dr. Ross also explained the in vitro process: “There are five basic steps in the process of IVF but those who have frozen their eggs bypass steps one and two. The third step is finding viable sperm, either from your partner or using a donor sperm. The fourth step involves combining the eggs and sperm in a controlled laboratory setting in hopes of creating healthy embryo’s. Once the embryos have been created and are thriving the final step involves transferring them into the uterus. It’s recommended to transfer one or two healthy embryos into the uterus.” She noted the side effects of IVF include mild cramping, bloating, constipation and breast tenderness. “The hormones used to stimulate the ovaries can cause mood swings and emotional upheaval,” she added.
“It’s always best to be your best and healthiest self when going through an IVF cycle,” she noted. “If your job creates a lot of stress its ideal to lessen your work load or take time off to focus on your fertility. The most important factor in your success at getting pregnant through IVF is not waiting until you are 40 to start the process.”
HollywoodLifers, what do you think of Gwen and Blake having a baby? Let us know below!