Research shows that moms who first gave birth in their early 30s report higher energy, better fitness, and fewer aches and pains compared to moms who first gave birth in their early 20s. And that might help explain another scientific finding. Women who have kids in their 30s might also live longer.
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.
For anyone who is looking to become pregnant after 30 or 35, experts suggest planning the first pregnancy before 37 years old. This increases the chances of having at least one child before fertility declines further. Some people who are around or over the age of 35 freeze their eggs to use later.
Pregnancy is often physically easier for women in their 20s because there's a lower risk of health complications like high blood pressure and diabetes. You're also less likely to have gynecological problems, like uterine fibroids, which often become more problematic over time.
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.
The risk of chromosomal abnormality increases with maternal age. The chance of having a child affected by Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 1,250 for a woman who conceives at age 25, to about 1 in 100 for a woman who conceives at age 40.
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.
There is a decline in fertility that begins at about age 28. Now, it isn't like 28 turns the switch off or that 40 turns the switch all the way off, and there's variability from woman to woman but the point is that there's no test.
Advantages of getting pregnant in your 30s
You may have a higher income and more financial security because you've had more time to establish your career. Studies have found that women who became first-time moms at or after age 33 have greater odds of living to age 95 (compared to younger moms).
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.
Early childbirth is especially dangerous for adolescents and their infants. Compared to women between the ages of 20-35, pregnant women under 20 are at a greater risk for death and disease including bleeding during pregnancy, toxemia, hemorrhage, prolonged and difficult labor, severe anemia, and disability.
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). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.
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.”
Having a child at a later age has various benefits and risks. Children born to older women tend to have a lower birth weight, more chromosomal abnormalities, and other negative outcomes. However, advanced maternal age is also associated with better parenting practices, a more stable home life, and higher income.
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.
One study found that for couples having regular unprotected sex: around 7 out of 10 women aged 30 will conceive within one year. around 6 out of 10 women aged 35 will conceive within one year. around 4 out of 10 women aged 40 will conceive within one year.
The ideal childbearing age is often considered to be in the late 20s and early 30s. Pregnancies later in life could come with some health risks. However, age is just one factor when it comes to giving birth to a child.
In your 20s, the normal progression of pregnancy will typically proceed without any issues. This doesn't mean that you have no risk of complications at all, simply that you'll have a lower risk of most complications.
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. The effect of age on men's fertility is less clear.
Older parents are generally less at risk for depression than younger ones. Parents still in their early 20s appear to have the hardest time because they are struggling with their own move from adolescence to adulthood while at the same time learning to be parents.
The onset of adolescence, generally between 12 and 14, is the hardest age for a teenage girl. The hormones of puberty cause her to feel her emotions more intensely but she has not yet developed the reasoning skills to know how to handle them.
The average age of first-time mothers in America is now 26, while for fathers, it's 31. “One important implication of waiting to have children is the health risks that both new mothers and their infants may face when a first-time birth parent is 35 or older,” Dr. Mooney says.