Age and fertility: When is the best to plan a pregnancy

The best time to have children is individual for everyone

Photo: Arturverkhovetskiy/Depositphotos

Women are able to become pregnant from the first menstruation during puberty and until the completion of menopause. But for such a long period, when is the best time to have a baby?

The peak of a woman’s reproductive capacity falls at a late teenage age and lasts just over 10 years. During this period, the body has the most eggs. Starting from the age of 30, fertility (conception ability) gradually decreases.

At the same time, it is not always advisable to become a mother as early as possible. Depending on your mental and physical health, financial situation, career and other life goals, you can decide to postpone pregnancy to a better moment – and this is absolutely normal. The best time to have children is individual for everyone.

Gynecologist Jacqueline Zuponetsik She explained Cleveland Clinic, why age is only one of the factors that should be taken into account when planning children, and how the reproductive function of the body changes with age.

Why with age changes fertility

The reproductive system of a woman from birth contains all the eggs she will ever have. And over time, their quantity and quality decreases. At birth, the girl has about 1 million eggs, before puberty, this amount is reduced to 300 thousand and continues to fall until menopause occurs.

If you start trying to get pregnant at 35 or 40 years old, you have fewer eggs that have been stored in the ovaries for decades.

« Biologically, we cannot expect that these eggs will be of the same high quality as up to 35 years. With age, internal mechanisms in the ovaries that ensure the correct distribution of DNA in the egg, work worse.

This increases the likelihood of eggs with excess or insufficient genetic material that can lead to miscarriage or birth defects in a baby, ” – explains the doctor.

Is it harder to get pregnant with age

Pregnancy over the age of 35 (the so -called « late reproductive age ») can be accompanied by difficulty conception and high risk to health. However, this does not mean that late pregnancy is impossible or rare.

« 35 years old is not a magical limit. However, the risks during pregnancy really grow with age. Many become more difficult to become pregnant and the risks of miscarriage are increasing, » – says the doctor.

At any age, pregnancy is a complex biological process that depends on the overall health. If you lead a healthy lifestyle, keep an eye on weight, do not smoke, eat balanced and play sports, you may well have children at a late reproductive age – even 40 years.

The risks of late pregnancy

During pregnancy at adulthood, there are potential risks for both the mother and the baby.

For a mother’s risks are:

Possible risks to a child:

• congenital defects of development;
• genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome;
• low birth weight;
• Premature birth.

Advantages of expectations

By data US disease control and prevention centers (CDC), American women are increasingly postponing the birth of the first child. Over the past 20 years, the average age of mothers, who give birth for the first time, has grown from 27 to 30 years.

Some research They even point to a possible relationship between late childbirth and longevity – women who gave birth later live longer.

Waiting can give more time to achieve financial stability, career building and providing a solid foundation for the family. Cultural and personal circumstances also often play an important role in the parenthood decision.

In any case, families are different, and consultation with a gynecologist will help to determine the following steps. These include natural conception, donor semen or egg use, extracorporeal fertilization (IVF) or referral to a reproductivelogist.

Pregnancy and health planning

If you have the question of the opportunity to get pregnant now or in the future, consult your doctor. The conversation will not hurt precisely in advance.

The doctor will help to find out whether you need any examinations (analyzes, ultrasound, partner’s semen examination, etc.).

If you are interested in maintaining fertility for the future (for example, freezing of eggs), consult a reproductivelogist. The doctor notes that freezing of eggs is not recommended only after age – this is usually shown at the risk of ovarian damage (for example, due to chemotherapy).

Also, if you have chronic diseases that can affect pregnancy, do not delay your visit to your doctor.

Such conditions include:

Earlier we toldwhat are the risks of pregnancy to obesity and how to prevent complications.