The Dutch study, published last month in the journal Human Reproduction, looked at how fertility declines with age. Researchers found that couples should start no later than the age of 32 years of age for at least one child and 27 for at least 2 kids.
Women who want to have a big family should start trying for a baby by 23, experts have warned. Even those who only want one child shouldn't wait past the age of 32, if they really want to become a mother.
Having Babies After 35 Is Safe
And while it's true that conceiving after 35 comes with an increased risk of complications—like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, chromosomal abnormalities, and even miscarriage or stillbirth—many people go on to deliver healthy babies.
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.
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.
Despite the growing trends mentioned above, two children still seems to the ideal number. An actual study revealed one to two children is the ideal number for “happiness”, but with two you don't have to deal with the aforementioned only child issues.
As you get closer to 40, it's biologically more difficult to get pregnant and you may have a higher risk of miscarriage, chromosomal issues, and other pregnancy complications. But most women in their 30s will get pregnant with little trouble.
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.
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.
Pregnancy after 35: Healthy pregnancies, healthy babies
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.
Older women are more likely to miscarry or have a stillbirth. They have a greater chance of developing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and of delivering a baby who is very small. Then there can be problems with labor, resulting in a higher chance of cesarean birth.
You can start a family at almost any age. Kids nowadays hang out with friends and get married in their 30's. Both my kids got married and started families in their 30's. My sister who was 8 yrs older, her son's got married in their 30's.
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.
In a new study, Anqi Chen and Nilufer Gok at the Center for Retirement Research predicted that the final fertility rate for Millennials in their 30s – the rate at the end of their childbearing years – will average 1.96 children.
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.
In the United States, birth rates for women in their 30s are at the highest levels in three decades. However, an older mother may be at increased risk for miscarriage, birth defects, and pregnancy complications such as twins, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and difficult labors.
Your Chances of Getting Pregnant: Mid-Late 20s (25 to 29)
From age 25 to 34, you have an 86% chance of conceiving after trying for a year. Your chances of miscarrying are 10%, only a little higher than they were in your early 20s. Keep doing what you've been doing and you'll be likely to have a baby within a year.
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.
Many women wait until later in life to have children. In the U.S., birth rates for women in their 30s are at the highest levels in 4 decades. But an older mother may be at increased risk for things such as: Miscarriage.
The chances of miscarriage and having children with abnormalities and down syndrome are very high in women conceiving after 35 years of age. The chances of multiple births also are higher in late pregnancies.
Possible benefits of a 3-year age gap
According to some research, you may have the lowest risk of labor complications when you have your second baby around three years after your first. Pregnancy may carry less risk for you and your baby.
In Australia it seems the majority of families have children quite close together: eighteen months, two or three years apart. Among the majority of Russian families I know for instance, much larger differences between siblings of seven years or more are common.
For most women, it's best to wait at least 18 months between giving birth and getting pregnant again. This means your baby will be at least 1½ years old before you get pregnant with another baby. This much time gives your body time to fully recover from your last pregnancy before it's ready for your next pregnancy.