...
Try our
Try our

Female cycle
& fertility

Female cycle 
& fertility

What affects your fertility -  Age and fertility

In the developed world, more and more people are delaying having children; the average age in Europe for a woman to have her first baby is 30.

Not everyone who wants children is in a position to have them before the age of 35. Busy lives, not finding the right partner, focusing on other things – it’s not always possible to work to the tick of the biological clock.

Not everyone who wants children is in a position to have them before the age of 35. Busy lives, not finding the right partner, focusing on other things – it’s not always possible to work to the tick of the biological clock.

There are lots of reasons why having a family younger isn’t always possible or wanted:

  • People expect to have full, fun, busy lives with a focus on their career, education, travel and socializing rather than “settling down” as previous generations were expected to do
  • Many people feel they want to be in a long-term stable relationship with financial security and a suitable home before raising a family
  • A more mobile population means lots of people don’t live near their extended family, meaning that traditional support networks aren’t available – in some countries this means paying for childcare which can be unaffordable for many people
  • Women are feeling more empowered to say they don’t want children, or don’t want children yet

Unfortunately, biology doesn’t care about our feelings or what else is going on in our lives!

We know that fertility begins to decline in women in their 30s (for men it happens a bit later), but what does that actually mean?

Unfortunately, biology doesn’t care about our feelings or what else is going on in our lives!
 
We know that fertility begins to decline in women in their 30s (for men it happens a bit later), but what does that actually mean?

Having children later rather than sooner means…

…greater difficulty getting pregnant

It can take longer to get pregnant when you’re older, and the chances of successfully conceiving, either naturally or with assisted reproduction, gradually get lower and lower.

As the menstrual cycle changes towards menopause, it can be hard to know exactly when ovulation happens – if it happens at all.

Read more about the effect of age on fertility in our blog Exactly How Hard Is It To Get Pregnant After Age 35?

…higher risk of pregnancy and childbirth complications

One study found that women over 40 were more likely than younger women to get gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, experience breech births (baby is born feet first rather than head first) and miscarriages, need birth interventions (e.g. forceps delivery or Caesarean), have premature births and have babies with low birth weights and/or who need intensive care after birth.

You can find out more about this in our blog How Risky Is It (For You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant After 40?

…higher risk of having a child with a health condition

When an egg is fertilized, it combines the chromosomes from each parent. In older eggs, this process is more likely to go wrong; when this happens the embryo develops genetic abnormalities. Some of these abnormalities cause conditions like Down's syndrome.

Learn more in our article What Happens to Your Eggs as You Get Older?

…greater difficulty getting pregnant
It can take longer to get pregnant when you’re older, and the chances of successfully conceiving, either naturally or with assisted reproduction, gradually get lower and lower.
 
As the menstrual cycle changes towards menopause, it can be hard to know exactly when ovulation happens – if it happens at all.
 
Read more about the effect of age on fertility in our blog
Exactly How Hard Is It To Get Pregnant After Age 35?

It can take longer to get pregnant when you’re older, and the chances of successfully conceiving, either naturally or with assisted reproduction, gradually get lower and lower.

As the menstrual cycle changes towards menopause, it can be hard to know exactly when ovulation happens – if it happens at all.

Read more about the effect of age on fertility in our blog Exactly How Hard Is It To Get Pregnant After Age 35?

…higher risk of pregnancy and childbirth complications
One study found that women over 40 were more likely than younger women to get gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, experience breech births (baby is born feet first rather than head first) and miscarriages, need birth interventions (e.g. forceps delivery or Caesarean), have premature births and have babies with low birth weights and/or who need intensive care after birth.
 
You can find out more about this in our blog
How Risky Is It (For You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant After 40?

One study found that women over 40 were more likely than younger women to get gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, experience breech births (baby is born feet first rather than head first) and miscarriages, need birth interventions (e.g. forceps delivery or Caesarean), have premature births and have babies with low birth weights and/or who need intensive care after birth.

You can find out more about this in our blog How Risky Is It (For You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant After 40?

…higher risk of having a child with a health condition
When an egg is fertilized, it combines the chromosomes from each parent. In older eggs, this process is more likely to go wrong; when this happens the embryo develops genetic abnormalities. Some of these abnormalities cause conditions like Down's syndrome.

Learn more in our article What Happens to Your Eggs as You Get Older?

When an egg is fertilized, it combines the chromosomes from each parent. In older eggs, this process is more likely to go wrong; when this happens the embryo develops genetic abnormalities. Some of these abnormalities cause conditions like Down's syndrome.

Learn more in our article What Happens to Your Eggs as You Get Older?

A common misunderstanding is that if you are older than around 35 and are having trouble getting pregnant you can have IVF or another kind of assisted reproduction instead. However, when it comes to fertility the age of the mother’s eggs is one of the most crucial factors, and many of the issues you might face with natural conception also affect assisted reproduction.

A common misunderstanding is that if you are older than around 35 and are having trouble getting pregnant you can have IVF or another kind of assisted reproduction instead. However, when it comes to fertility the age of the mother’s eggs is one of the most crucial factors, and many of the issues you might face with natural conception also affect assisted reproduction. The risks of the fertilizations process higher in older women?

But it's not all bad news!

You might be relieved to know:

Fertility preservation might be an option
This involves freezing your eggs when you’re younger so you can use them later, dramatically reducing your risks of many of the complications and difficulties of trying to start a family with older eggs. Why not learn more about egg freezing and who is suitable for it?

Having a baby later in life is pretty common.
Lots of women are having healthy babies in their late 30s and into their 40s. Just because the risks are higher, it doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee. Learn more about this in our articles How Risky is it (for You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant after 40? and Becoming a mother after 40 - it CAN be safe

Every woman is different.
And sometimes, each cycle is slightly different too. It’s impossible to say whether any particular woman will or will not have a successful pregnancy at any particular time. But the more you understand about your body, your cycle and your fertility, the more informed you will be.

You might be relieved to know:

Fertility preservation might be an option.
This involves freezing your eggs when you’re younger so you can use them later, dramatically reducing your risks of many of the complications and difficulties of trying to start a family with older eggs. Why not learn more about egg freezing and who is suitable for it?

Having a baby later in life is pretty common.
Lots of women are having healthy babies in their late 30s and into their 40s. Just because the risks are higher, it doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee. Learn more about this in our articles How Risky is it (for You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant after 40? and Becoming a mother after 40 - it CAN be safe

Every woman is different.
And sometimes, each cycle is slightly different too. It’s impossible to say whether any particular woman will or will not have a successful pregnancy at any particular time. But the more you understand about your body, your cycle and your fertility, the more informed you will be.

What affects your fertility - Age and fertility

In the developed world, more and more people are delaying having children; the average age in Europe for a woman to have her first baby is 30.

Not everyone who wants children is in a position to have them before the age of 35. Busy lives, not finding the right partner, focusing on other things – it’s not always possible to work to the tick of the biological clock.

Not everyone who wants children is in a position to have them before the age of 35. Busy lives, not finding the right partner, focusing on other things – it’s not always possible to work to the tick of the biological clock.

There are lots of reasons why having a family younger isn’t always possible or wanted:

  • People expect to have full, fun, busy lives with a focus on their career, education, travel and socializing rather than “settling down” as previous generations were expected to do
  • Many people feel they want to be in a long-term stable relationship with financial security and a suitable home before raising a family
  • A more mobile population means lots of people don’t live near their extended family, meaning that traditional support networks aren’t available – in some countries this means paying for childcare which can be unaffordable for many people
  • Women are feeling more empowered to say they don’t want children, or don’t want children yet

Unfortunately, biology doesn’t care about our feelings or what else is going on in our lives!

We know that fertility begins to decline in women in their 30s (for men it happens a bit later), but what does that actually mean?

Unfortunately, biology doesn’t care about our feelings or what else is going on in our lives!
 
We know that fertility begins to decline in women in their 30s (for men it happens a bit later), but what does that actually mean?
Having children later rather than sooner means…
…greater difficulty getting pregnant
It can take longer to get pregnant when you’re older, and the chances of successfully conceiving, either naturally or with assisted reproduction, gradually get lower and lower.
 
As the menstrual cycle changes towards menopause, it can be hard to know exactly when ovulation happens – if it happens at all.
 
Read more about the effect of age on fertility in our blog
Exactly How Hard Is It To Get Pregnant After Age 35?

It can take longer to get pregnant when you’re older, and the chances of successfully conceiving, either naturally or with assisted reproduction, gradually get lower and lower.

As the menstrual cycle changes towards menopause, it can be hard to know exactly when ovulation happens – if it happens at all.

Read more about the effect of age on fertility in our blog Exactly How Hard Is It To Get Pregnant After Age 35?

…higher risk of pregnancy and childbirth complications
One study found that women over 40 were more likely than younger women to get gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, experience breech births (baby is born feet first rather than head first) and miscarriages, need birth interventions (e.g. forceps delivery or Caesarean), have premature births and have babies with low birth weights and/or who need intensive care after birth.
 
You can find out more about this in our blog
How Risky Is It (For You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant After 40?

One study found that women over 40 were more likely than younger women to get gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, experience breech births (baby is born feet first rather than head first) and miscarriages, need birth interventions (e.g. forceps delivery or Caesarean), have premature births and have babies with low birth weights and/or who need intensive care after birth.

You can find out more about this in our blog How Risky Is It (For You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant After 40?

…higher risk of having a child with a health condition
When an egg is fertilized, it combines the chromosomes from each parent. In older eggs, this process is more likely to go wrong; when this happens the embryo develops genetic abnormalities. Some of these abnormalities cause conditions like Down's syndrome.

Learn more in our article What Happens to Your Eggs as You Get Older?

When an egg is fertilized, it combines the chromosomes from each parent. In older eggs, this process is more likely to go wrong; when this happens the embryo develops genetic abnormalities. Some of these abnormalities cause conditions like Down's syndrome.

Learn more in our article What Happens to Your Eggs as You Get Older?

A common misunderstanding is that if you are older than around 35 and are having trouble getting pregnant you can have IVF or another kind of assisted reproduction instead. However, when it comes to fertility the age of the mother’s eggs is one of the most crucial factors, and many of the issues you might face with natural conception also affect assisted reproduction. The risks of the fertilizations process higher in older women?

A common misunderstanding is that if you are older than around 35 and are having trouble getting pregnant you can have IVF or another kind of assisted reproduction instead. However, when it comes to fertility the age of the mother’s eggs is one of the most crucial factors, and many of the issues you might face with natural conception also affect assisted reproduction. The risks of the fertilizations process higher in older women?
But it's not all bad news!
You might be relieved to know:

Fertility preservation might be an option
This involves freezing your eggs when you’re younger so you can use them later, dramatically reducing your risks of many of the complications and difficulties of trying to start a family with older eggs. Why not learn more about egg freezing and who is suitable for it?

Having a baby later in life is pretty common.
Lots of women are having healthy babies in their late 30s and into their 40s. Just because the risks are higher, it doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee. Learn more about this in our articles How Risky is it (for You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant after 40? and Becoming a mother after 40 - it CAN be safe

Every woman is different.
And sometimes, each cycle is slightly different too. It’s impossible to say whether any particular woman will or will not have a successful pregnancy at any particular time. But the more you understand about your body, your cycle and your fertility, the more informed you will be.

You might be relieved to know:

Fertility preservation might be an option
This involves freezing your eggs when you’re younger so you can use them later, dramatically reducing your risks of many of the complications and difficulties of trying to start a family with older eggs. Why not learn more about egg freezing and who is suitable for it?

Having a baby later in life is pretty common.
Lots of women are having healthy babies in their late 30s and into their 40s. Just because the risks are higher, it doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee. Learn more about this in our articles How Risky is it (for You and Your Baby) to Get Pregnant after 40? and Becoming a mother after 40 - it CAN be safe

Every woman is different.
And sometimes, each cycle is slightly different too. It’s impossible to say whether any particular woman will or will not have a successful pregnancy at any particular time. But the more you understand about your body, your cycle and your fertility, the more informed you will be.

Fertility Age

Calculator

How does age affect your fertility?

References

Seraphinite AcceleratorOptimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.