all women see a decline in their fertility beginning around age 35 making it far more difficult -- but not impossible -- to conceive naturally. the risk of birth defects including down syndrome increases as a woman ages as does the risk of an ectopic pregnancy which can be life-threatening. treatments such as in vitro fertilization have made it possible to conceive well into the mid-40s. for many doctors however the cutoff point is around age 45 a time when many believe a woman’s eggs are no longer healthy enough for a normal conception -- although normal pregnancies can and do occur at this age. with the inception of donor eggs a woman could actually carry a child and give birth well into her 60s and beyond depending on her individual health status. although this is possible it is not necessarily a recommended or accepted practice.
with all the advances in fertility treatments how old is too old for a woman to try to get pregnant?