The poll of more than 3,000 women aged 28 to 45 found 24 per cent regretted having waited so long, and 17 per cent were worried about being too old to conceive. In addition, almost one in 10 (nine per cent) had already resorted to fertility treatment because of difficulties in getting pregnant naturally. And one in five wanted to have a child so much they said they would consider purposefully becoming a single mother, either through donor sperm or another route. According to results of the 2012 Modern Motherhood Report, commissioned by Red magazine, more than three-quarters who had undergone fertility treatment had paid for some or all of it themselves. Although IVF is available on the NHS, provision is notoriously patchy, with local health authorities setting their own criteria as to who is and is not eligible. The Red survey found the average spend on fertility treatment was £7,236, with a small minority spending over £15,000. Women’s fertility falls rapidly after 35 - although it varies from person to person - and while IVF improves the chance of conceiving in one’s late 30s and 40s, it is no guarantee of success. IVF pregnancy rates also fall fast with age. Male infertility, although less associated with age, is also a growing problem. Brigid Moss, health director at Red, said: “It’s not surprising that nine per cent of women say they’ve had fertility treatment. “It’s becoming more common, and so more accepted. In our study a quarter of women said they’d had problems trying to conceive.” She said their finding that a fifth of respondents would consider becoming a single parent showed that “for some women, having a child is as important as, or more so, than a relationship”. Dr Mark Sedler, of Care Fertility, a Manchester IVF clinic, said too many women did not understand how their biological clocks made it harder to get pregnant with age. He was not surprised that one in 10 said they had undergone fertility treatment, saying: "Patients are coming to us earlier than before, after trying to conceive naturally for a shorter period. "They are saying 'I at least need to know what's going on.' "I think it's better to be investigated earlier rather than late, and wasting precious time." Source
