Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Pregnancy After 40: Fertility, IVF and Risks Behind Celebrity News
Some women can have healthy babies after turning 40.
Celebrity pregnancy announcements can make this seem easy for everyone, but each person’s situation is different.
Women are born with a limited number of eggs, and their number and quality usually decline with age.
This can make becoming pregnant harder and can raise the chance of miscarriage.
Doctors may recommend fertility checks sooner for women over 40 who want to conceive.
Pregnancy can also require closer checks for blood pressure, blood sugar and the baby’s growth.
IVF may help, but it cannot make older eggs younger.
Donor eggs are another option for some women.
The best plan depends on a woman’s fertility, health and personal goals.
Lady Gaga, Mahira Khan and Anne Hathaway have highlighted that motherhood after 40 is possible.
Fertility generally declines with age as egg number and quality decrease, increasing some conception and miscarriage challenges.
Women over 40 may benefit from earlier fertility evaluation, including assessment of both partners.
Pregnancy after 40 can involve closer monitoring for diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia and fetal growth.
IVF and donor eggs may help some women, but IVF using a woman’s own eggs cannot reverse age-related egg changes.
- Who
- Women considering or experiencing pregnancy after 40, including Lady Gaga, Mahira Khan and Anne Hathaway; fertility specialist Dr Neelam Suri provides medical guidance.
- What
- The article explains fertility, IVF options and pregnancy risks associated with having a child after age 40.
- When
- The discussion concerns pregnancy and conception in the 40s, with the named celebrities aged 40, 41 and 43.
- Where
- The medical guidance was provided to The Indian Express by Dr Neelam Suri of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi.
- Why
- To clarify that celebrity pregnancies do not represent every woman’s fertility prospects, treatment experience or pregnancy risks.
Reassurance and Possibility
Medical Caution and Individual Differences
Meaning of celebrity pregnancies
Reassurance and Possibility
Pregnancies involving women in their 40s show that motherhood after 40 remains possible, and many women have healthy pregnancies and babies.
Medical Caution and Individual Differences
Celebrity announcements may omit treatment cycles, fertility preservation, donor eggs and other medical details, so they cannot predict another woman’s chances.
Role of IVF
Reassurance and Possibility
IVF can help women overcome certain fertility problems and may be part of the treatment options in the 40s.
Medical Caution and Individual Differences
IVF using a woman’s own eggs remains affected by age and egg quality; a tested embryo does not guarantee implantation or a live birth.
Pregnancy risk
Reassurance and Possibility
Being 40 does not automatically mean a woman will have a high-risk or complicated pregnancy.
Medical Caution and Individual Differences
Older maternal age is associated with increased concerns such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia and the need for additional fetal monitoring in some cases.
- Fertility and age
- Egg number and quality generally decline with age, with the decline becoming more pronounced in the late 30s and 40s.
- Earlier evaluation
- Women over 40 trying to conceive may warrant fertility evaluation sooner rather than waiting a year.
- Assessment
- Evaluation can include menstrual and ovulatory history, medical history, ovarian reserve, uterine and fallopian-tube assessment, and semen testing.
- Pregnancy risks
- Gestational diabetes, hypertension and pre-eclampsia become concerns that may require closer monitoring.
- IVF limitation
- IVF can address particular fertility problems, but stimulation cannot produce younger eggs.
- Donor eggs
- Donor-egg IVF may be discussed when a woman’s own egg supply or quality makes conception difficult.
- Preconception health
- Blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disorders, medications, vaccinations, nutrition, weight, sleep and lifestyle can be reviewed before pregnancy.