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039: The Impact of Paternal Age on Fertility and Healthy Pregnancies


When Janet Jackson announced that she was pregnant at the age of 50, the world gasped and threw judgment in every shade at her. She was too old to have a baby, what was she thinking?

But when George Clooney announced he was expecting twins with his wife Amal Clooney, when he was five years older than Janet Jackson was, no one batted an eye.

There's a misconception that just because men produce sperm into late in life that means they're able to conceive a healthy child for just as long too. That's just not true.

On this episode, I speak with fertility specialist Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh about the realities of men's biological clock. We discuss how it contributes to unexplained infertility or miscarriages and what they can do to improve their sperm to increase the likelihood of the couple getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy and baby.

 
 

Episode highlights...

  • How social media distorts the realities, risks and benefits of expecting babies at an older age

  • How she encourages her patients to remember importance of PMA when going through fertility treatment

  • What is it about a man's age impacts male fertility and whether a couple gets pregnant

  • Genetic variance in the sperm can impact whether you are able to create a genetically healthy

  • Perfectly normal semen permaters can still have high DNA fragmentation in sperm which results in a low chance of having a live birth

  • Men over the age of 40, have chronic medical issues, are overweight or have been trying to get pregnant without success should check their DNA fragmentation index

  • Identify whether sperm is contributing your chances of conceiving or carrying a healthy pregnancy

  • How to improve sperm quality to improve your chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy

  • Our culture and medical practice tends to blame egg quality far more easily and frequently for fertility challenges than to investigate sperm quality as well

  • What happens when men are resistant to learning about their health and fertility and how to get on the same page

  • The ways paternal age impacts a couple's ability to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby

  • When to consider donor sperm

  • Why she recommends PICSI when doing IVF to help improve their chances of getting pregnant

  • An amazing story of hope for a couple who were convinced they could not have children and then were able to get pregnant with the help of Dr. Aimee

  • When freezing sperm is a good option for couples

Paternal age matters when it comes to getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy. Both men and women have a biological clock and if you want to have children in your future both women AND men should check into their health early.

Resources from the show...

Tweetables

Having millions of sperm isn't enough. Sperm quality matters too (Tweet that!)

Sperm quality isn't just about how much sperm you have. It's about the DNA (Tweet that!)

If eggs are exposed to better sperm women may have a better chance at conceiving (Tweet that!)

Early testing can help you understand what your fertility options are (Tweet that!)

About the Guest

Dr. Aimee, also known as the “Egg Whisperer,” is one of America’s most well known Fertility Doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She’s had a hand in creating thousands of happy healthy babies. Dr. Aimee is a Harvard-educated board certified OBGYN, specializing in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility; but it’s her “Egg Freezing Parties” that put her in the limelight and made her a media darling. She has been featured in magazines like People and Marie Claire, and has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Morning, Fox Network, along with a number of local and international newscasts. In her off-time, Dr. Aimee is a Mom to four rambunctious young kids aged 9 and under. Her goal is to teach everyone how to become fertility aware and #GetAheadOfInfertility.

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