The Likely Science Behind Janet Jackson’s Pregnancy

Women over 50 can actually conceive but they usually need help.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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People released a photo Wednesday of a glowing and very pregnant Janet Jackson.

The image is the first we've seen of the iconic singer since Jackson announced in April that she was postponing a world tour to focus on “planning” a family with her husband Wissam Al Mana. At the time of her announcement, some questioned how a woman Jackson's age (50 years old) might conceive. The new photo shows, however, that Jackson is indeed carrying her baby herself, something that's not only possible but happening more and more with the help of modern science.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, births by women 50 to 54 years old rose by more than 165 percent from the year 2000 (255) to 2013 (677). That increase is due in large part to technological advancements like in vitro fertilization. 

IVF is, according to the Mayo Clinic, is complex series of "assisted" reproductive procedures in which mature eggs are collected from a woman's ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. A fertilized egg, an embryo, is then implanted by a doctor in a woman's uterus. Overall, it's a process that streamlines conception, helping many to beat the "biological clock."

Experts say that a woman's likelihood of getting pregnant after 45 years old is about three or four percent. IFV changes those odds dramatically, however, especially through the use of donor eggs.  

"It's fairly easy for a healthy woman to achieve and sustain a pregnancy if the egg is from a healthy 25- or 30-year old," Steven R. Bayer, a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF fertility clinic, told Parents magazine. "Even if she's in menopause, success rates are about 60 to 65 percent."

Despite public interest in the details of Jackson's pregnancy, she's keeping the family matter private. The singer told People simply that she and her husband thank God for their "blessing." A source close to Jackson added that Jackson is, "super excited about her pregnancy and is doing extremely well."

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