Fertility age 36

Having a Baby After Age 35: How Aging Affects Fertility and Pregnancy

A woman’s peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline becomes more rapid once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely for most women.
Women begin life with a fixed number of eggs in their ovaries. The number of eggs decreases as women get older. Also, the remaining eggs in older women are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes. And as women age, they are at higher risk of disorders that can affect fertility, such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis.
For healthy couples in their 20s and early 30s, around 1 in 4 women will get pregnant in any single menstrual cycle. By age 40, around 1 in 10 women will get pregnant per menstrual cycle. A man’s fertility also declines with age, but not as predictably.
Women who get pregnant later in life have a higher risk of complications. For example, pregnant women over 40 have an increased risk of preeclampsia. Pregnancy later in life also can affect the health of the fetus.
Older women tend to have more health problems than younger women. For example, high blood pressure is more common in older people. Having high blood pressure before pregnancy can increase the risk of preeclampsia. But studies also show that older women who do not have any health conditions can still have complicated pregnancies.
The overall risk of having a baby with a chromosome abnormality is small. But as a woman ages, the risk of having a baby with missing, damaged, or extra chromosomes increases.
Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is the most common chromosome problem that occurs with later childbearing. The risk of having a pregnancy affected by Down syndrome is
Learn about tests that look for genetic disorders:
- Prenatal screening tests assess the risk that a pregnancy will be affected by a specific birth defect or genetic disorder. Screening can be done before and during pregnancy.
- Prenatal diagnostic tests can detect if a pregnancy is affected by a specific birth defect or genetic disorder.
Both screening and diagnostic testing are offered to all pregnant women. You don’t have to be a certain age or have a family history of a disorder to have these tests. It is your choice whether you want to have them done. Talk with your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) about genetic testing options so you can make a choice that’s right for you.
The risks of miscarriage and stillbirth are greater in women who are older than 35. Also, multiple pregnancy is more common in older women than in younger women. As the ovaries age, they are more likely to release more than one egg each month.
Also, some fertility treatments increase the chance of a multiple pregnancy. Although multiple pregnancies can be healthy, these pregnancies can increase the risk of preterm birth.
All women should think about whether they would like to have children and, if so, when to have them. This is called a reproductive life plan. If you would like to have children someday, your plan can be a simple statement like, “I would like to finish school and have more money saved before having children” or “I would like to have children in my 20s when my chances for a healthy pregnancy are best.” Talking with your ob-gyn can help you develop your reproductive life plan. The next step is to put your plan into action.
If you don’t want to get pregnant and have a male partner, use a birth control method to prevent pregnancy. Make sure you are using a method that fits your reproductive goals, your lifestyle, and any health conditions that you have. Together you and your ob-gyn can review your birth control options.
If you want to get pregnant soon, you should try to be as healthy as possible before pregnancy. Take steps to stop using alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. You also should start taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects (NTDs).
This is a visit with your ob-gyn that helps you plan for a pregnancy. During this visit, your ob-gyn should review your medical history, your family history, any past pregnancies, and any medications you take. You also should review immunizations to be sure that you have all of the vaccines that are recommended for you. You and your ob-gyn also may talk about
- your diet and lifestyle
- how you can maintain a healthy weight before getting pregnant
- recommended screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- the option of carrier screening for you and, if needed, your partner
All women should talk with their ob-gyns before trying to get pregnant, but it’s especially important for women older than 35.
It is a good idea to talk about your plan once a year with your ob-gyn. Ask yourself whether you would like to have children in the next year. If your answer is yes, you can take steps for a healthy pregnancy. If your answer is no, you can make sure that you are using a reliable birth control method.
Currently, there is no medical technique that can guarantee fertility will be preserved. If you know that you want to have children later in life, one option may be in vitro fertilization (IVF). With IVF, sperm is combined with a woman’s eggs in a laboratory. If the sperm fertilizes the eggs, embryos may grow.
Embryos can be frozen and used many years later. When you are ready, an embryo can be transferred to your uterus to try to achieve a pregnancy. The chance that IVF will work for you depends on many factors, including your health and your age when the embryos are frozen.
Talking with a fertility expert will help you understand your chances of success with IVF. Also, there are financial considerations. Some IVF treatments are expensive and may not be covered by insurance.
A procedure called oocyte cryopreservation—“freezing your eggs”—has become more popular in recent years. In this procedure, several eggs are removed from the ovaries. The unfertilized eggs are then frozen for later use in IVF.
Egg freezing may seem like a good option for women who want to delay childbearing. But egg freezing is recommended mainly for women having cancer treatment that will affect their future fertility. There is not enough research to recommend routine egg freezing for the sole purpose of putting off childbearing. Egg freezing also is expensive and may not be covered by insurance.
If you are older than 35 and have not gotten pregnant after 6 months of having regular sex without using birth control, talk with your ob-gyn about an infertility evaluation. If you are older than 40, an evaluation is recommended before you try to get pregnant. This advice is especially true if you have a problem that could affect fertility, such as endometriosis.
During an evaluation, you have physical exams and tests to try to find the cause of infertility. If a cause is found, treatment may be possible. In many cases, infertility can be successfully treated even if no cause is found. But the chances of success with these treatments decline with age. See Evaluating Infertility for more information.
Getting early and regular prenatal care may increase your chances of having a healthy baby. At each visit, your health and your fetus’s health should be monitored. If you have a preexisting medical condition or if a medical condition develops during pregnancy, you may need to see your ob-gyn more often. Regular prenatal care can help your ob-gyn find problems sooner and take steps to help manage them.
Carrier Screening: A test done on a person without signs or symptoms to find out whether he or she carries a gene for a genetic disorder.
Chromosomes: Structures that are located inside each cell in the body. They contain the genes that determine a person’s physical makeup.
Complications: Diseases or conditions that happen as a result of another disease or condition. An example is pneumonia that occurs as a result of the flu. A complication also can occur as a result of a condition, such as pregnancy. An example of a pregnancy complication is preterm labor.
Diagnostic Tests: Tests that look for a disease or cause of a disease.
Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21): A genetic disorder that causes abnormal features of the face and body, medical problems such as heart defects, and mental disability. Most cases of Down syndrome are caused by an extra chromosome 21 (trisomy 21).
Eggs: The female reproductive cells made in and released from the ovaries. Also called the ova.
Embryos: The stage of prenatal development that starts at fertilization (joining of an egg and sperm) and lasts up to 8 weeks.
Endometriosis: A condition in which tissue that lines the uterus is found outside of the uterus, usually on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other pelvic structures.
Fetus: The stage of human development beyond 8 completed weeks after fertilization.
Fibroids: Growths that form in the muscle of the uterus. Fibroids usually are noncancerous.
Folic Acid: A vitamin that reduces the risk of certain birth defects when taken before and during pregnancy.
Genetic Disorders: Disorders caused by a change in genes or chromosomes.
High Blood Pressure: Blood pressure above the normal level. Also called hypertension.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): A procedure in which an egg is removed from a woman’s ovary, fertilized in a laboratory with the man’s sperm, and then transferred to the woman’s uterus to achieve a pregnancy.
Menstrual Cycle: The monthly process of changes that occur to prepare a woman’s body for possible pregnancy. A menstrual cycle is defined as the first day of menstrual bleeding of one cycle to the first day of menstrual bleeding of the next cycle.
Miscarriage: Loss of a pregnancy that is in the uterus.
Multiple Pregnancy: A pregnancy where there are two or more fetuses.
Neural Tube Defects (NTDs): Birth defects that result from a problem in development of the brain, spinal cord, or their coverings.
Obstetrician–Gynecologist (Ob-Gyn): A doctor with special training and education in women’s health.
Oocyte Cryopreservation: A procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries and frozen for later use with in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Ovaries: Organs in women that contain the eggs necessary to get pregnant and make important hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Preeclampsia: A disorder that can occur during pregnancy or after childbirth in which there is high blood pressure and other signs of organ injury. These signs include an abnormal amount of protein in the urine, a low number of platelets, abnormal kidney or liver function, pain over the upper abdomen, fluid in the lungs, or a severe headache or changes in vision.
Prenatal Care: A program of care for a pregnant woman before the birth of her baby.
Preterm: Less than 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Screening Tests: Tests that look for possible signs of disease in people who do not have signs or symptoms.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Infections that are spread by sexual contact. Infections include chlamydia, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]).
Sperm: A cell made in the male testicles that can fertilize a female egg.
Stillbirth: Birth of a dead fetus.
Uterus: A muscular organ in the female pelvis. During pregnancy, this organ holds and nourishes the fetus. Also called the womb.
Vaccines: Substances that help the body fight disease. Vaccines are made from very small amounts of weak or dead agents that cause disease (bacteria, toxins, and viruses).

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FAQ060

Published: October 2020

Last reviewed: December 2021

This information is designed as an educational aid for the public. It offers current information and opinions related to women's health. It is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. It does not explain all of the proper treatments or methods of care. It is not a substitute for the advice of a physician. Read ACOG’s complete disclaimer.

Chances, Fertility, and What to Expect

Written by Rachel Reiff Ellis

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.

How a woman's reproductive age affects the conception of a healthy child

Contents of the page

Get ready to get answers to these important questions. You will also learn about the features associated with the process of conception for women of different ages.

Women 20-24 years old

The age from 20 to 24 years is the best period for pregnancy. At this age, 90% of the eggs are genetically normal, and it is this fact that affects the conception of a healthy child. The probability of conceiving a healthy baby at this age and within a year of regular sexual activity is 96%.

Here it is important to note that high chances of conception, unfortunately, do not always lead to the birth of a healthy child. The thing is that young people are less responsible for preparation and pregnancy, so some risk factors leading to complications during pregnancy are ignored. For example: bad habits, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency.

Therefore, it is important to have appropriate examinations at any age in order to feel confident in terms of health and not jeopardize the health of the unborn baby. nine0003

25-29 years old

Between the ages of 25 and 29, the chances of getting pregnant within a year of sexual activity are 86%, and the chances of miscarriage are no more than 10%.

Of course, you need to carefully prepare for pregnancy, monitor your health, nutrition, weight and avoid stress. We wrote about this above and are ready to repeat it every time when it comes to planning a pregnancy.

But, as a rule, if you are under 30 and you carefully monitor your health when planning a pregnancy, you have every chance to conceive healthy children. nine0003

30-34 years old

At the age of 35 years, the probability of conceiving a child is still high and is also 86%. But, unfortunately, the probability of miscarriage increases and is approximately 20%.

In addition, after the age of 30, many women develop chronic diseases that can negatively affect pregnancy.

When preparing for pregnancy at this age, it is most important to pay attention to your health. If conception does not occur after 12 months of active sexual activity, it is necessary to consult a reproductive specialist. nine0003

35-39 years old

Is it possible to get pregnant after 35 years? This question is not just so worried about many women. The fact is that female fertility begins to decline rapidly after 35 years.

Despite this, there are chances of getting pregnant after 35 years. The probability of conception during the year is 78%.

However, let's talk about the decline in female fertility. Such a process in the female body is the main reason for the increased risk of transmission of chromosomal disorders, which negatively affect the viability of the egg and embryo. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the egg contains less energy to be able to correctly distribute the genetic material and provide, at the expense of its energy, the early stages of development and implantation of the embryo. Therefore, the likelihood of conception of an embryo with chromosomal abnormalities (for example, Down syndrome) increases. We will talk more about chromosomal abnormalities in our next articles. nine0003

We would like to emphasize again that if you take your health responsibly and undergo the correct examination during the period of preparation for pregnancy, consult a reproductive specialist, many disorders during pregnancy can simply be prevented.

If you are aged 35-39 and are trying to get pregnant, we do not recommend that you wait the full 12 months. Do not waste time, because. at this age, every month counts, and if you have not been able to get pregnant for six months, you should contact a specialist and go through all the necessary tests. nine0003

40 to 44

Between the ages of 40 and 44, a woman may only ovulate a few times in 12 months as the body's egg supply and production of estrogen and progesterone decline. The probability of getting pregnant at this age is very small, but this does not mean that conception after 40 is impossible at all.

The main thing is to correctly approach pregnancy planning. Of course, it is better not to postpone such an important event for a long time. And this is not only our recommendation, but also the recommendation of all the leading reproductologists in the world. nine0003

Let's recap!

Pregnancy is wonderful, and planning, conceiving and giving birth to a healthy baby is undoubtedly the best and most important event in the life of every woman. And if you approach this process as responsibly as possible, regularly undergo medical examinations, lead a healthy lifestyle and periodically take vitamins that are important for the female body, you will definitely have healthy and happy children.

Remember, women's reproductive age has its limits, but cases of infertility are correctable. If you cannot conceive naturally, modern and effective reproductive technologies that are used in the Reprolife Medical Center will help you. Among them: ICSI, PGT-A (NGS), PGT-M, PGT-SR, TESA. nine0003

Our team of professionals specializes in the treatment of all forms of infertility and comprehensive pregnancy management.
We will take care of the birth of healthy children in your family!

▶ Clinic for Reproductive Medicine in Kyiv ✅ Reprolife Reproductive Health Center

We help people plan, conceive, carry and have healthy children, contributing to the embodiment of the key meanings of human life - safe parenthood and embody yourself in your children! nine0003

17 January

Egg Donor Program at Reprolife Medical Center

In this way, we ensure that the treatment will lead to the birth of a healthy baby. High standards in the work of our specialists ensure the maximum effectiveness of infertility treatment programs and a comfortable path to the desired motherhood. nine0003

13 December

WHAT IS BIOIDENTIC HORMONES?

A survey of women in a drugstore in the United States found that about half thought the term "natural" meant herbal. Unfortunately, many women have a misconception about bioidentity, believing that it guarantees naturalness, and therefore complete safety compared to synthetic forms of hormones. nine0003

08 December

5 myths about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Women with PCOS have hormonal imbalances and often metabolic disorders that can affect their health. By separating the facts from the myths, you can live a full and healthy life from PCOS. nine0003

02 December

Estrogens for men's health

Stay healthy, trust the professionals and we are waiting for you at the Reprolife clinic. And remember: men's health is a skill that can be learned.

30 November

What are the benefits of taking vitamin D?

29 November

We are working!

Thank you all for your perseverance!

nine0002 16 November

Mitochondrial diseases

Mitochondrial diseases are a group of genetic diseases caused by impaired mitochondrial function and their hereditary structural defects, accompanied by impaired energy synthesis in cells.