A test of FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone, may provide a clue. The level of FSH normally rises as women approach the later reproductive years. A woman who is 30 and who has an abnormally high FSH should know that she is already becoming less fertile and may be destined for earlier menopause, Klein says. By the time a woman is 42, taking fertility drugs will only marginally increase her odds of successful delivery, Klein says. The alternative for many people is egg donation.
Egg donation uses the male partner's sperm to fertilize eggs donated by another woman.
The donor is usually a woman under 35 who does not have a history of infertility. The fertilized egg is then transferred into the female partner's uterus. Fortunately, the aging mechanisms that cause deterioration of the egg usually do not seem to affect the uterus. So an older woman, if given appropriate hormones, can successfully bear the child. It can be emotionally difficult for women to accept the need for this method, Klein says.