I'm going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but that's okay. I think there is a big infertility myth that goes on with women over 35. Am I saying that older can get pregnant as easily as younger women? No. (Please read that again.) Am I saying that the risks are not higher? No. (Read that again.) What I am saying is that I believe it's easier for women over 35 -- or even 40 -- to get pregnant than they think it is. And now here comes Carla Bruni, France's ex-First Lady and an ex-supermodel, pregnant AGAIN at 44 years old.

Did Carla use fertility drugs or IVF to get pregnant at 44? It's certainly possible -- but I don't think so. Here is why. Carla gave birth to her last child, daughter Giulia, only nine months ago! Plus, it's reported that she suffers from postpartum depression. And since her husband lost the election, she wants to return to her former career as a pop singer.

Additionally, Carla doesn't sound like she enjoyed pregnancy too much. She told French mag Le Parisien:

Quite frankly, I can't stand it anymore. I spend most of my time either sitting down or lying down. I can't smoke or drink anymore. I'm in a hurry to get it over with.

Does this like someone who is so anxious to have another child that she would run to the fertility doc?

Carla's experience is one I see all the time. I know many women who have given birth over 35 and didn't use any drugs to get pregnant. I have one friend who went through several rounds of treatments in her 20s, failed to conceive, and then, at 38, got pregnant naturally. And that isn't an anomoly. I know women who went off birth control when they hit 40 because they thought it would be "impossible" to get knocked up. And boom! They got knocked up. My gyno confirmed for me that she sees women over 35 get pregnant all the time without drugs.

So why would there be an "infertility myth"? Sure, much of it is NOT a myth. Your chances of getting pregnant do decrease with age. But they don't necessarily decrease to zero -- or even decrease to the point where drugs are needed. Let's think about how many millions of dollars the fertility industry makes -- and whether or not it might be to its advantage to perpetuate difficulties beyond what might actually exist.

Do you think infertility for older women is exaggerated?


Image via SpaceOdissey/Flickr