A woman's most fertile years are between her late teens and late 20s. By around age 30, fertility starts to slowly decline and by mid-30s the decline speeds up. But the decrease in chance of pregnancy after age 35 is gradual and more like a slope than a cliff, at least until age 40.
Fertility statistics suggest that for healthy women in their 20s and early 30s, the likelihood of getting pregnant during any single menstrual cycle is around 1 in 4. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, by the time a woman reaches age 40, those probabilities drop to around 1 in 10.
It might take longer to get pregnant.
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.
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.
For example, a woman at 30 often has around 100,000-150,000 eggs in reserve. By 35, that number is likely around 80,000. Late into the thirties, that number could be 25,000, 10,000, or fewer.
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.
Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.
So as you get older, you have fewer and fewer eggs, and the eggs you have aren't easily fertilized by a man's sperm. All this makes it harder for you to get pregnant. If you're older than 35 and have been trying for 6 months to get pregnant, tell your health care provider.
Pregnancy after 35 also has many benefits, such as greater financial and emotional stability, previous experience with childbirth and parenting, or access to more peers who have had children and could provide support.
You can use a special thermometer to check your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. You're most fertile 2 or 3 days before your temperature rises. Your cervical mucus becomes clearer and thinner with a slippery consistency, like egg whites.
6.9 percent in women age 35 to 37. 6.8 percent in women age 38 to 40. 5.1 percent in women age 41 to 42. 5.9 percent in women age 43 and above.
How long would it take to get pregnant at 35? It's normal for women in their 20s to get pregnant within two to three months of trying, however, for a woman in her mid to late 30s it might take six to nine months.
You are increasingly at risk for infertility issues, multiples, premature delivery, a chromosomal abnormality, a miscarriage or stillbirth, and abnormal fetal growth. And your chances of needing a C-section go up.
In addition to its well-established role in neural tube defect prevention, research suggests folate plays an important role in promoting egg quality, maturation and implantation.
Current supplementation policies designed to prevent neural tube defects may incidentally prevent Down's syndrome, provided a sufficiently high dose of folic acid is used.
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.
A recent study suggests that a 20-year-old father doubles the chance of Down syndrome as compared to one who's 40.
The study found that pregnancy rates decreased progressively with increasing age of the recipient female patient 6. The cumulative pregnancy rate observed up to 12 insemination cycles was 74% for women younger than 31 years and decreased to 62% for women aged 31–35 years and to 54% for women older than 35 years 6.
Having Babies After 35 Is Safe
And while it's true that conceiving after 35 comes with an increased risk of complications—like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, chromosomal abnormalities, and even miscarriage or stillbirth—many people go on to deliver healthy babies.
Older women are more likely to miscarry or have a stillbirth. They have a greater chance of developing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and of delivering a baby who is very small. Then there can be problems with labor, resulting in a higher chance of cesarean birth.
Age. People over 30, and particularly those over age 35, are more likely to conceive twins. 4 This is because the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) rises as birthing parents get older. FSH is responsible for the development of eggs in the ovaries before they are released.