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.
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.
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.
Having babies after 35 is safe
One of the biggest fears around pregnancy after 35 is the increased risk for complications during pregnancy or genetic disorders and other conditions that could affect the baby. But science shows that many healthy parents over 35 have healthy babies.
Due to advances in technology surrounding fertility, pregnancy, and delivery, it's possible to safely have a baby at age 40. However, any pregnancy after age 40 is considered high risk.
You'll be around for less time in your child's life
Since you are older, it stands to reason that you'll be around for your child for less of their life than if you had them earlier in your life. So the idea here is if you aren't maximizing the amount of time you can be around, then you're being selfish.
Most people over 40 have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. But there are some things you need to think about. You'll want to be sure to get good antenatal care.
If you're older than 35 and hoping to get pregnant, you're in good company. Many families are delaying pregnancy well into their 30s and beyond — and delivering healthy babies. Taking special care can help give your baby the best start.
Getting pregnant after age 35 isn't as easy as it is at 25. However, while it can be more challenging, it is possible for many people to have kids later in life. The most important thing is that you seek fertility help right away from your OB/GYN if you're ready to have a family but aren't having luck getting pregnant.
The oldest verified mother to conceive naturally (listed currently as of 26 January 2017 in the Guinness Records) is Dawn Brooke (Guernsey); she conceived a son at the age of 59 years in 1997.
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.
While it may take a bit longer to get pregnant if you're 35 or older, the average time it takes to conceive is still high. Women under 25 have a 25 percent chance of conceiving per cycle, compared to 15 percent among women between the ages of 35 to 39 (the rate drops to 5 percent by the age of 40).
While delivering at age 35 and older is officially considered “advanced maternal age,” Dr. Kalish notes that in reality, there's no “magic number” for being at-risk for complications. “A healthy 38-year-old could have an easier pregnancy than a 20-year-old who has multiple medical issues,” Dr. Kalish says.
In your early 30s, the chances you'll be able to have a baby are still high. You still have a lot of high-quality eggs to offer, but your odds will start to decline steadily at this age. Your fecundity rate decreases gradually until age 32. At 37, it drops dramatically.
According to a study our research team at CFRE recently presented, women under 35 have a 60% chance of freezing enough eggs in one cycle for a high chance at pregnancy later; that drops to 40% for women 35–37 and 9% for women 38–40.
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.
Mid to Late 30s (35 to 39)
At 35, most females have a 15% to 20% chance of getting pregnant in a given month. That could mean a 78% chance of conceiving within the year. But 35 seems to be the point where fertility for people with ovaries does decline.
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.
What's the average time it takes to get pregnant by age? If you take women under 37 years old with no known fertility problems who got pregnant, about 45 percent of them will have conceived within three months, 60 to 65 percent within six months, 85 percent within a year and 93 percent within 18 months.
Women in their early thirties are generally better off than women in their late thirties as ovarian reserve declines sharply in the late thirties. For example, a woman at 30 often has around 100,000-150,000 eggs in reserve. By 35, that number is likely around 80,000.
Advanced maternal age describes a pregnancy where the birthing person is older than 35. Pregnant people over age 35 are more at risk for complications like miscarriage, congenital disorders and high blood pressure.
Dr. Fisch and his colleagues found that the rate of Down syndrome steadily increased with advancing paternal age for the maternal age group of 35 to 39 years. The greatest increase, however, was seen in the maternal age group of 40 years and older with increasing paternal age.
Unlike men, who continue to make new sperm every day, women are born with their entire life's supply of eggs. Over time, these eggs tend to deteriorate. Women in their 40s may still release an egg every month, but the quality of the egg may not be adequate enough to achieve a successful pregnancy.
You're most fertile at the time of ovulation (when an egg is released from your ovaries), which usually occurs 12 to 14 days before your next period starts. This is the time of the month when you're most likely to get pregnant. It's unlikely that you'll get pregnant just after your period, although it can happen.