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Chances, Fertility, and What to Expect

Written by Rachel Reiff Ellis

In this Article

• By the Numbers
• Reasons for Fertility Drop
• Your Options

You’re hoping to make a baby and wondering about your chances at “advanced maternal age” (the medical term for women pregnant at 35 or later). Age is one of the key factors that predict your ability to conceive. Your fertility starts to decline at age 30 and keeps on dropping steadily until you hit menopause.

That said, it’s not only possible to deliver a healthy baby after age 35, it’s quite common. Here’s a look at the odds facing “older” mothers.

By the Numbers

You’re at your peak fertility in your 20s. Healthy women that age who are trying to conceive have about a 1 in 4 chance of getting pregnant during a single menstrual cycle. In other words, 25 out of 100 women will succeed per month.

By age 40, an average healthy woman has only a 5% chance of getting pregnant per cycle.

At the same time, the likelihood of miscarriage climbs with your age. A typical 40-year-old has about a 40% chance of losing the pregnancy. That compares to less than 15% for someone in their 20s. 

By the time you’re over 45, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says getting pregnant naturally is “unlikely for most women. ”

Reasons for Fertility Drop

As you age, so do your eggs. And you have fewer of them, too. You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have in your life, about 1 million. By the time you hit puberty, you may have about 300,000 left. 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. Also, women after 35 are more likely to have problems like endometriosis and uterine fibroids that make it harder for you to get pregnant.

The quality of your partner’s sperm also matters. As men age, their sperm tend to swim slower and begin to lose their shape. But sperm quality doesn’t drop steeply until after men enter their 60s.

Your Options

Some older women trying to conceive may need more than just more time and help from Mother Nature. If so, several types of reproductive medicine may make pregnancy possible.

If you’re under 35, your doctor may recommend fertility treatments if you’ve tried without success to get pregnant for more than a year. That window shortens to 6 months if you’re 35 or older. And if you have any medical issues that could hurt your chances of conceiving, your doctor may advise that you get fertility help right away. They may suggest:

• Drugs that stimulate egg production
• In vitro fertilization (IVF)

If you know you’d like to have a baby someday but aren’t ready now, one option is to freeze your fertilized egg for IVF later. The quality of your embryos likely will be highest when taken closest to your most fertile years. A clinic will test your eggs for viability, or the chance that they’ll produce a healthy pregnancy.

Another option is to use an egg or embryo donor. A clinic will use a healthy egg from a younger woman and fertilize it with your partner’s sperm or donated sperm, and implant it in your uterus, so you can carry and deliver the baby.

Pregnancy after 35: risks and opportunities

January 18, 2019 Health

No horror stories - only confirmed facts and advice from doctors.

Today, the term “old-timer” is already forgotten, but there is still an opinion that after 35 years, a woman and her unborn child will face health problems. Lifehacker understands what threatens later childbirth and answers the most common questions.

How the chances of getting pregnant change with age

Age is the main factor that affects fertility, that is, the ability to conceive, bear and give birth to a child. The supply of eggs in the female body is limited, and over time, their quantity and quality gradually decreases. nine0003

In addition, various diseases accumulate over the years: both gynecological (eg, fibroids, endometriosis, infections, adhesions), and general (hypertension, diabetes). Which also reduces the chances of conceiving and bearing a child.

On average, fertility begins to decline at age 32, and after 37 years this process accelerates noticeably. So, at the age of 25, 87.5% of women can conceive a child within a year. At the age of 30 - 83.9%, at 35 - 73.3%, and at 40 - only 49.4%.

It is worth noting that the age of both partners plays a role in the issue of childbearing. Male fertility also declines over time, but this happens after age 40 and much more slowly. Physiology and lifestyle are also to blame: the quantity and quality of sperm, the activity of spermatozoa decrease, more “defective” cells appear. nine0003

It is worth estimating the age of a couple, not just one woman.

The likelihood of genetic diseases and neurological disorders in the unborn child, such as epilepsy and autism, also increases with the age of the father.

What are the risks in late pregnancy

Over the years, not only the ovulatory reserve is depleted, but also the resources of the body as a whole. Chronic diseases, excess weight appear, the hormonal background changes, the body recovers more slowly after an illness. nine0003

And all this can affect the course of pregnancy, that is, the health of both the mother herself and the unborn baby. Consider what problems mature mothers may face:

• Gestational diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, it develops more often at an older age. So, if up to 25 years the risk of developing the disease is 2.59%, then at 35–40 years it is already 4.38%, and after 40 years it is 15.9%. If diabetes is ignored, it can cause fetal overgrowth, premature birth, and other complications in the baby. nine0034
• High blood pressure. Appears more often in women over 35 years of age. American researchers have found a delayed negative effect of late delivery on the cardiovascular system. Women who gave birth after age 40 had a 60% higher risk of future stroke.
• Caesarean section and complications during childbirth. Such as placental abruption or fetal malposition. Scientists suggest that with age, the muscles of the uterus contract worse due to cellular changes and less sensitivity to oxytocin and progesterone. nine0034
• Spontaneous miscarriage and death of the fetus in the womb. These risks nearly double after age 40, but are still lower in healthy women at any age.
• Premature birth. The chance of early delivery is slightly higher after age 35. Doctors often blame it on age, but a recent study refutes this connection and explains preterm birth as a combination of factors and comorbidities.
• Chromosomal abnormalities in a child . The genetic material of both parents “ages”, so the older the couple, the higher the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome and other disorders. If up to 25 years this is 1 case out of 1,587, then in 35 years - 1 out of 390, and after 40 years already 1 out of 122.
• Multiple pregnancy. Due to hormonal changes, the chances of having twins increase with age. There is, of course, nothing to worry about, except for the additional burden on the female body and the risk of premature birth, which has already been mentioned above. nine0034

It is worth noting that the level of medicine has grown significantly over the past decades, so today it is easier to prevent and timely detect almost any pathology. Yes, and mature mothers approach pregnancy more consciously and do everything to save it.

What else affects fertility

Not only the biological clock sets the ideal time for the birth of a child at any age.

External factors and, most importantly, lifestyle also affect the quantity and quality of sperm and eggs. nine0003

Here's what they say at the Mayo Clinic: alcohol, tobacco, stress, being overweight, infectious and chronic diseases, and even extra cups of coffee reduce the chance of conception. So, by eliminating these factors, we increase the chances of becoming parents.

Are there any advantages to late pregnancy

The main advantage of the appearance of late children is that they are desired, and are born in families where parents are ready to take on this role. Such children learn better and develop socially.

Thus, researchers say that older fathers produce children with relatively high IQs. They easily focus on their own interests and are less likely to try to fit into society's standards.

"Aging" spermatozoa may contain chromosomes with longer telomeres that protect DNA and are responsible for lifespan. Moreover, this effect persists for two generations to come.

Are there any benefits for the parents themselves? Undoubtedly. Not only are mothers calmer during pregnancy, but they are also less likely to raise their voice at their children or punish them later on. Such women retain verbal memory longer. Scientists even judge the level of happiness from the birth of children, which, according to them, is higher in adulthood. nine0003

What to do if you are not yet ready to give birth

Unpreparedness for children in youth is another reason to be more attentive to yourself and stay healthy longer. And you don't have to do anything particularly difficult.

• Take care of yourself. Eat well, get enough rest, spend more time outdoors, move around, avoid smoking and alcohol if possible.
• Take care of your health. Do not neglect scheduled medical examinations, vaccinations, treat your teeth on time, monitor blood sugar and pressure levels, control chronic diseases if they already exist. Check with your doctor about how these diseases can affect fertility and future pregnancies. nine0034
• Find a good doctor. You must trust this specialist 100% and not be afraid to discuss all the risks and opportunities, up to the cryopreservation of eggs and spermatozoa and IVF.

Modern medicine makes it possible to postpone childbearing until you are ready for it morally and financially. And she can prevent the complications that a few decades ago frightened "old-term" women. So it makes sense not to rush, but to treat yourself more carefully. Health is more important than age. nine0003

Read also 🤰🏼

• 10 life hacks that will make pregnancy much easier
• Pregnancy planning: 12 things the right parents do
• Which signs of pregnancy can be trusted and which can't?

Pregnancy after 35: how to properly prepare?

In today's world, pregnancy after the age of 35 is regarded as a common situation and is becoming more common every year. This is due to the fact that women first build a career and only then think about the birth of their first child. A second child after 35 years is also common, often in families the oldest child has already reached adolescence when he has a brother or sister. Every woman needs to know about the features, possible risks, planning and proper preparation for pregnancy after 35 years. nine0003

What are the difficulties of pregnancy after 35?

Fertility (ability to bear children) is an indicator that gradually decreases with age. Usually, fertility begins to decline after 30-32 years, depending on the characteristics of the woman's body. However, this does not mean that after 30-35 years, a physiological first pregnancy without any complications is impossible.

Average dependence of fertility on the woman's age

After the age of 35, a woman may have difficulty conceiving. It is important to remember that the age of a man also affects the likelihood of conception and intrauterine development of the fetus. Therefore, if any problems arise, both partners need to undergo a comprehensive medical examination.

If healthy men and women over 35 years of age have regular intercourse without the use of contraception, the chances of conception within 12 months remain quite high. nine0045