Just some questions from a "future" anxious father

[want2bDAD]

My wife and I got married in Dec 07. She will be 45 in Feb 2010. Why is there a age requirement as well as a length of being married. Since we won't be married for 3 years until the end of 2010, can this option be waived? Is there a getting ready time where we should be getting things in order, to be ready to go through the process?? My wife has 1 fallopian tube blocked & I think her FHA(?) is high. A doctor told us that a normal/healthy range was under 10, her's over the course of 4 months went from 17 to 24. Is it possible that we could even carry a baby to term??? Thanks for any questions answered. I will be calling in, but I saw this forum & wanted to ask.

[reg.finger]

The reason for the age requirement (for both members of the couple) is to increase the probability that both the child's mother and father will remain living and active until the child reaches adulthood. This may seem strange to a healthy couple in their 40s, but actuarial statistics bear out that a small but significant fraction of people will die or become disabled by their 60s.

The reason for the 3 year marriage requirement is to increase the probability that the couple is "in it for the long term" and will stay together to raise the child. Again, it is a matter of population statistics. None of these items are intended to be judgmental of any particular individual or couple.

Getting things in order ... the embryo adoption process takes a sufficient length of time, getting the match in order, dealing with the clinical workup, etc. ... this should provide enough time for you to get ready in other ways.

The rest of your questions are clinically detailed enough that I would recommend you get your answers directly from Dr. Keenan and Ms. Sommerfelt in the NEDC office. I hope you have already contacted them by now.

Thank you!

Reg Finger, MD, MPH