It might take longer to get pregnant. You're born with a limited number of eggs. As you reach your mid- to late 30s, the eggs decrease in quantity and quality. Also, as you get older, your eggs aren't fertilized as easily as they were when you were younger.
Even with all the understandable talk of “windows of opportunity” and “biological clocks,” there are ways for women over 35 to make motherhood a reality. Infertility treatments can be difficult and expensive, but fertility specialists can talk with you about options. Age is less of a limitation than it used to be.
While it may take a bit longer to get pregnant if you're 35 or older, the average time it takes to conceive is still high. Women under 25 have a 25 percent chance of conceiving per cycle, compared to 15 percent among women between the ages of 35 to 39 (the rate drops to 5 percent by the age of 40).
Women over age 35 take longer to conceive – The average time it takes a couple over 35 to conceive is 1-2 years, so try to remain positive if you do not become pregnant immediately.
This study found that, compared to women ages 30-31, the probability of women getting pregnant within a given menstrual cycle was 86% for women ages 34-35 was: 83% for women ages 36-37, 70% for women ages 38-39, 47% for women ages 40-41, and 41% for women ages 42-44.
The fecundity of women decreases gradually but significantly beginning approximately at age 32 years and decreases more rapidly after age 37 years, reflecting primarily a decrease in egg quality in association with a gradual increase in the circulating level of follicle-stimulating hormone and decreases in circulating ...
Among low‐risk pregnancies, birth at 37 or 38 completed weeks' gestation is associated with increased risks of stillbirth, infant mortality and neurological morbidity, while birth at 39–40 completed weeks is associated with reduced risks compared with births at later gestation.
This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely. How does age affect your eggs? You begin life with a fixed number of eggs in your ovaries.
Older women are more likely to have a baby with a chromosome disorder such as Down syndrome. If you are age 25, the chance of Down syndrome is about 1 in 1,250. If you are age 35, the risk increases to 1 in 400.
Of course, as women age, the odds of conceiving also gradually lower. The ideal childbearing age is often considered to be in the late 20s and early 30s.
The study confirmed that women over 40 do have the highest risk of preterm births: 7.8 percent of pregnancies in this age group resulted in preterm births and 1 percent ended in extremely premature deliveries.
If size is a factor, a smaller baby and less chances of complications. If size and breech are a major factor, a 38 week cesarean can minimize further complications, higher sugars in a baby, ease pregnancy discomforts in those later stages for you as well, etc. Please note - an elective cesarean is a choice.
Best biological times to have a baby
Typically, the 20s mark a time of high fertility for both males and females. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, females experience a slight reduction in fertility in their early 30s, and this will decrease significantly between the ages of 35 and 45.
At 37, you're down to just 25,000 -- or 2.5% of your starting count. That matters because the fewer eggs in your ovaries, the lower your odds for conception. Even if you do get pregnant, your older eggs are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes, which may raise your chance of miscarrying your baby.
A gap of 3 years or more greatly reduces the chances of sibling rivalry. By this time the older child is secure in him or herself and quite independent. In addition, the mother's body is fully recovered from the challenges of pregnancy and birth of the first child.
In particular, a sibling age difference of 2 years or more was associated with a higher chance of completing high school and attending college. Another study found that children who are more than 3.5 years apart tend to get higher grades than children born less than 2 years apart.
Those women who have late menopause and they have babies early and often have babies without difficulty, well into their early to mid 40s, but it's rare for any population you study that women have successful pregnancies after 45 with any kind of frequency.
Geriatric pregnancy is a rarely used term for having a baby when you're 35 or older. Rest assured, most healthy women who get pregnant after age 35 and even into their 40s have healthy babies.
Your most fertile day, and the day you are most likely to ovulate on, is the last day of egg-white cervical mucus. You can also track your ovulation hormone using at-home ovulation tests (sometimes called an ovulation predictor kit, or OPK).
Women who become pregnant in their 30s and early 40s can have safe, healthy pregnancies, says Ellie Ragsdale, MD, director of fetal intervention at UH Cleveland Medical Center. But they do face a higher risk of some problems.
Definition of geriatric pregnancy
We define advanced maternal age (formerly geriatric pregnancy) as those who are 35 years or older at their estimated delivery date.