Experts say the best time to get pregnant is between your late 20s and early 30s. This age range is associated with the best outcomes for both you and your baby. One study pinpointed the ideal age to give birth to a first child as 30.5. Your age is just one factor that should go into your decision to get pregnant.
Your 20s is certainly a good time, numbers-wise, to have a baby, assuming all the other factors are good. There are some potential risks that are increased for those who are at the lower ends of their 20s.
There is no definitive time or age to have a baby. Everyone is different. Some people feel psychologically well-prepared to have a baby in their early 20s, while others do not.
After age 35, there's a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications that might lead to a C-section delivery. The risk of chromosomal conditions is higher. Babies born to older mothers have a higher risk of certain chromosomal conditions, such as Down syndrome. The risk of pregnancy loss is higher.
Between ages 20 and 30, the natural fertility rate each month is about 25 percent. That dips to below 10 percent after age 35. Birth rates are dropping for females ages 18 to 24. Many are foregoing families for careers until they're in their 30s and 40s .
Falling fertility: A woman's ability to get pregnant begins to decrease slightly at age 27, and then decreases significantly after the age of 37. The average healthy couple under the age of 30 has about 95% of conceiving within a year. Once you're over 30, the chance of getting pregnant decreases by about 3% each year.
Women in their 20s have a much higher chance of getting pregnant, for example, and a lower risk of conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and high blood pressure. Studies suggest that women who wait until their 30s to give birth may be healthier later in life, live longer, and earn more income.
If born before week 37, your baby is considered a “preterm” or “premature” baby. If born before week 28, your baby is considered “extremely premature.” Babies born between weeks 20 to 25 have a very low chance of surviving without neurodevelopmental impairment.
Two children. Research suggests that having two children is still most people's idea of the 'ideal' family size.
While most people are in their reproductive prime in their 20s, that decade isn't always the best age to have kids when you consider those important variables beyond fertility. Some people simply aren't ready yet, while others are. That's why most experts and parents agree that there is no perfect age to get pregnant.
The optimum age to have a child is when a person is ready- physically, emotionally, mentally and financially. Biologically, 20s might be the best age, but one definitely needs to consider other factors as well before welcoming a baby.
Is It Hard To Get Pregnant? Yes, getting pregnant can be hard, both physically and emotionally! Your fertile window is a small amount of time each month so it may take some time for conception to occur. (For reference, a healthy woman in her 30s only has a 20% chance of getting pregnant during each menstrual cycle.)
Women in their early 20s to early 30s have a one in four chance of becoming pregnant each month. However, the likelihood of becoming pregnant decreases as women continue to age past 30. In fact, women have only a 1 in 10 chance of becoming pregnant each month by the time they're 40.
According to a Gallup poll, 4 in 10 Americans say three or more children is the ideal family size.
Not having children also comes with significant positive health benefits. A 116-year study by the American Journal of Human Biology found the following trends. Longer lifespan. Women with children lost an incredible 95 weeks of life per child carried.
Having two children is good for your health
Having two children reduces mortality risk. Three different studies looked at thousands of older adults and found the same thing: two kids was the sweet spot for health. The risk of an early death increases by 18% for parents of an only child.
Time to Have a Kid. If they do have kids, married people usually have their first one during the first six years of marriage.
Age of moms: According to pre-pandemic data, the average age of first time mothers in the US is 26, though it is on the rise among women from multiple socioeconomic groups [LINK].
Babies who are born after 34 weeks gestation have the same long-term health outcomes as babies who are delivered at full term (40 weeks). This means that if your baby is born when they are 34 weeks old, they have the same chances of being healthy as any other baby that wasn't born prematurely.
Several studies agree that there is a positive association between delayed motherhood and longevity. A 2015 study showed that women who have their last child after age 33 are more likely to live to 95. Another study showed that having children later in life is “positively related to aspects of cognition later in life.”
Being a young mother is mostly associated with health benefits for the baby. The highest chance of conception for women is in their late 20s and early 30s. During this time, there's also less risk involved with potential pregnancy complications.
A woman's fertility will usually peak between the age of 24-34. From the age of 35, there's a slight decline in the fertility rate with an increase in the chromosomal abnormalities,” Dr Firuza Parikh, fertility specialist, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, told Express Parenting.