The Ideal Age to Get Pregnant: What Science Says
Introduction – Pregnancy is always treated as a blessing or joy when a couple is trying to conceive. But getting pregnant is not as simple as we think it to be – because the process of pregnancy depends on various factors. Womanhood starts from the age of menarche or first menses and the fertility of the woman is considered high. She can continue to have children at any time, till her menopause, if she so desires. But, this decision comes with risks and advantages; the most fertile period of a woman is in her late teen’s i.e., around 19yrs till early 30s . Then fertility naturally begins to decline as the woman gets older, making it harder to conceive. A late pregnancy is not only difficult but also risky for the mother and baby.
What Happens With Advancing Age According To Science?
Scientifically speaking, women’s reproductive organs are fully functional and at their peak health between their late 20s and early 30s. Getting pregnant and taking care of a whole new life is not merely decided by age alone, but it is one of the factors to think about, while other factors like emotional willingness and financial readiness also matter when starting a family. Hence the timing for each woman may differ accordingly.
Women carry a finite number of eggs at birth- approximately around 2 million initially, and it drops to 3,00,000 at puberty, By late 30’s, it drops to just over 25,000 eggs and by the age of 50, it will be as low as 1000. So, a general thumb rule is – ovarian reserve or the number of eggs decrease with increasing age, negatively impacting fertility, as time goes by.
Factors that Affect Fertility-
- Quality of egg: Having a healthy baby is the wish and dream of every mother and this is decided by the quality of an egg. During the peak reproductive age that is the ages between 20-31 yrs, egg quality is at its best and as age progresses, quality starts to decline. Once the woman crosses the age of 35 yrs, her fertility starts to drop quickly.
The chances of getting pregnant decreases with age – like you have a 20% chance to conceive at the age of 25, 12% chance at the age of 35 and 7% post 40 yrs.
Certain accompanying lifestyle related factors include-
- Smoking
- Underlying systemic diseases
- Pelvic organ infections
- Any form of cancer.
Advantages Of Getting Pregnant Between Your Late 20s And Early 30s:
- Any and all post pregnancy effects are well tolerated and mothers tend to heal faster if they are younger.
- With the growth of a healthy baby, women in their peak fertile age can provide better intra- uterine life to the foetus, increasing the chances of producing a healthy off-spring.
- Energy: Women in between late twenties and early thirties have sufficient energy to take care of their little one.
- There will be fewer chances of pregnancy complications.
Risks Of Delayed Pregnancy Include Several Conditions Like –
- Gestational diabetes
- High blood pressures
- Pre-eclampsia
- Miscarriages
- Premature birth
- Still births
- low birth weight in infant
- Chromosomal abnormalities
- Cardiac risks to the mother.
According to IVF specialists and health care professionals, as age advances, the amount of DNA present in the older eggs may have too much or too little genetic information, this can increase the chances of having a child with genetic abnormality or having a miscarriage. Planning pregnancy at an older age not only makes it hard to conceive but it also poses serious health risks to the mother.
Conclusion – If you’re a couple planning a pregnancy, then do consider evaluating the health conditions of both the parents under the guidance of experienced IVF specialists or gynaecologists available at a women’s clinic nearby, so that they can guide and advise you on the most suitable plans available. There are multiple options available like freezing eggs and sperm if you’re at risk of any other illness like cancer treatment which can damage your sperm or egg. Talk to specialists at Feminova Clinics, which is the best fertility Clinic In Hyderabad, if you have a history of any other illness related to thyroid, heart, epilepsy etc. An early consultation with the experts can provide better options for you and your off-spring.
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What is the ideal age for women to conceive?
The most fertile period of a woman is in her late teen’s i.e., around 19yrs till early 30’s. Hence an ideal age to conceive is estimated from 21-30.5 yrs.
Does teen pregnancy be considered as healthy pregnancy?
No, teen pregnancy is not considered healthy even though a woman is fertile from the age of menarche as it poses risks and complications like preterm birth, low birth weight, anaemia, along with higher chances of maternal and infant mortality.
What are the complications in delayed pregnancies?
Some common complications like miscarriages, premature birth, still births, infant low birth weight and chromosomal abnormalities are observed in mothers and infants.
Does freezing eggs promise healthy pregnancy in the future?
No, freezing eggs cannot promise a healthy pregnancy as it only increases the chance of pregnancy when collected during the fertile period- i.e. it is inherently dependent on egg quality. A healthy pregnancy also depends on other factors like sperm quality, uterine health etc.
How to prevent birth defects in a child after the age of 35?
Early preconception care, managing existing medical conditions, taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid supplements, avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol and preventing frequent infections are some good pointers to remember.