The advances in medical science have made it possible for women to put off having children until later in life. This may be for a variety of reasons, including wanting to be established in a career, taking the opportunities to travel the world unencumbered by children, or just spending quality time with a significant other.
Whatever the reason, a woman has the right to make her own decisions. However, putting off having children until later could come with higher risks. No matter what age a woman is, there is the potential for risks and infertility, but they increase as the woman ages. Below are some things every woman should know about age and infertility.
Women in their 20s
This is the ideal time for women to get pregnant and have children. The odds of getting pregnant are in a woman’s favor while the risk of infertility is low. This, of course, doesn’t mean a woman in her 20s can’t be infertile because she can.
Decreasing the risks of infertility may include changing bad eating habits (including the amount of fast food and alcohol that is consumed) and maintaining a healthy body mass index. This is also a good time for other bad habits to be dropped, including smoking, so that both mother and baby can be healthy.
Women in their 30s
As women age into their 30s, they still have a pretty good chance of getting pregnant until they reach the age of 35. After that, their chances begin to decline. The quality of her eggs will dwindle during this time, so the chances of miscarrying increases.
The risks of infertility aren’t much higher than women in their 20s at this point, unless the woman suffers from any of the common infertility issues. If they have been taking birth control, they’ll need to stop this and allow their menstruation cycle to regulate to increase the chances of getting pregnant.
Women in their 40s
Women in their 40s have a much lower chance of getting pregnant, although it’s not impossible. There are health risks associated with a woman carrying a baby at this age, both to herself and her unborn child.
If the woman’s eggs were aging when she was in her 30s, they will definitely be getting older as she ages into her 40s, potentially making them less viable for conception. She may also experience irregular menstruation and hormonal changes, both of which can impact fertility.
Talking to a fertility doctor about the risks and chances of getting pregnant will increase a woman’s chance of conception at any age.
