Women who become pregnant in their 30s and early 40s can have safe, healthy pregnancies, says Ellie Ragsdale, MD, director of fetal intervention at UH Cleveland Medical Center. But they do face a higher risk of some problems.
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 happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
It's been suggested that there's up to an 86% success rate for couples that try for a full year who are aged 30-34. However, there is a slightly increased chance of miscarriage (this rises to 20% by the age of 35) compared to when you're trying for a baby in your 20s.
The average chance of miscarriage by the age of the pregnant person is as follows: Under 35 years old: There is a 15% chance of pregnancy loss. Between 35 and 45 years old: There is a 20–35% chance of pregnancy loss. Over 45 years old: There is a roughly 50% chance of pregnancy loss.
The main health complications for babies born at 34 weeks of gestation include difficulty with lung capacity and breathing. The earlier a baby is born, the greater the likelihood of bleeding in the brain. These hemorrhages may be mild; however, babies with more severe brain bleeding can have permanent brain damage.
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).
Best biological times to have a baby
Typically, the 20s mark a time of high fertility for both males and females. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, females experience a slight reduction in fertility in their early 30s, and this will decrease significantly between the ages of 35 and 45.
If your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days and your period arrives like clockwork, it's likely that you'll ovulate on day 14. That's halfway through your cycle. Your fertile window begins on day 10. You're more likely to get pregnant if you have sex at least every other day between days 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle.
Most couples will get pregnant within a year if they have regular sex and don't use contraception. But women become less fertile as they get older.
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.
1 Yes, your odds of conception at 33 are not as good as they were at 28. At around age 37, fertility starts to decline at a much more rapid pace. Research has found that in any given month your chances of getting pregnant at age 30 are about 20%. Compare that to your odds at age 40, which are just 5%.
A gap of 3 years or more greatly reduces the chances of sibling rivalry. By this time the older child is secure in him or herself and quite independent. In addition, the mother's body is fully recovered from the challenges of pregnancy and birth of the first child.
If you're 35 years old or older and pregnant, you're considered to be of advanced maternal age, or AMA. This can put your pregnancy in the high-risk category for a number of reasons, including an increased risk of complications for you and your baby.
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.
A pregnancy that begins after age 35 is classified as a high-risk pregnancy because the risk of complications is higher, not inevitable. Many of the problems that occur with pregnancies after age 35 are related to health conditions that occur more often as you age.
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.
One of the main reasons that pregnant women over 35 are considered high-risk is because age is linked to increased likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities in the developing fetus. As you get older, your chance of having a baby with Down syndrome or other chromosomal conditions increases.
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.
After age 30, a woman's fertility decreases every year. The number and quality of her eggs goes down until she reaches menopause. Menopause usually happens around age 45 to 55. During that time, women stop having their periods and are no longer fertile.
Most babies (91%) in Australia are born at term (37–41 weeks). This is similar across the states and territories and has been stable over time.
If you are thinking about having a baby in your late thirties or early forties, you are not alone. Women ages 35-45 are increasingly becoming first-time moms. And most healthy women in this age group have healthy pregnancies, births and babies.
A reassuring study found that women ages 30-34 have an 86% chance of getting pregnant within one year of trying, and a 94% chance of conceiving after two years. For women ages 35-39, there's an 82% chance of conceiving after one year, and a 90% chance of conceiving after two years.