We have all heard the phrase, 'Age is just a number', but not in the case of pregnancy. Most of the doctors say that for girls, the right age to get pregnant is their 20s. So we can say that age and pregnancy are interrelated in the life of a woman.
These days, women are more career-oriented and prefer to get married at the age of 27 to 30. Hence when they decide to start a family, they are already 30 or above. Many of them face various complications in conceiving the baby at that age. The reasons could be many. In this post, we will be sharing age and pregnancy-related issues.
Women in Their 20s
Generally, it is physically easier for a girl to get pregnant in her early 20s. At this age, both time and biology are on their side. This age has a lesser risk of health complications.
Every girl is born with 1 to 2 million eggs. Because of puberty, your eggs reduce to 300,000 to 500,000 in number. Whereas, the ovaries release only about 300 eggs during the reproductive years. As a girl gets older, the quality of eggs gradually deteriorates. That's why younger women conceive easily.
Pregnancy in the 30s
People have set a trend toward older parenthood. Nowadays women can focus more on their careers, than starting their family at an early age.
But people forget that after the age of 30 years, fertility begins to decline. At the age of 35 years, the decline speed ups. And at the age of 37, only close to 25000 eggs are left. As a result, the odds of conceiving after 3 months of trying are almost 12%.
In this phase of pregnancy, the chances of miscarriage and genetic disorder in the baby also increase. Pregnant women may also face many other complications.
Also, read about Pregnancy in the 30s & 40s
Pregnancy After the 40s
Generally, medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes are more common after the age of 35 years. As we have already mentioned that the quality of eggs deteriorates as the age increases. After the age of 40, the odds of getting pregnant after 3 months of trying are almost 7%.
The older eggs can have more chromosomal problems. It is not easy to have a baby with health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. But many lucky women still have a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Some risks are common during pregnancy in the 40s, such as:- C-section delivery
- premature birth
- low birth weight
- birth defects
- stillbirth
Fertility Options
If you are not able to conceive after trying for years, then the doctor will recommend some assisted reproductive technologies that can help overcome fertility issues in women.
Generally, doctors use - drugs that stimulate egg production and techniques like in vitro fertilization (IVF).
There is one more option available- use a healthy donor egg. That egg is then fertilized with your partner's sperm and transferred to your uterus.
Freezing Your Eggs
This option is for those who do not want to have a baby in their early 20s, but definitely, want to have one after 30s. This procedure can be done in your peak reproductive years.
This process includes stimulating the ovaries with hormones to produce multiple eggs. Then the eggs will be retrieved from the ovaries and will be taken to the lab. In the lab, these eggs will be cooled to subzero temperatures to be thawed at a later date.
Takeaways
In the above article, we have mentioned the chances of conceiving a baby at the age of 20s, 30s and post 40s. Today women are more focused on the career and starting a family may take a back seat. So people choose to start their families in their 30s. But they often forget about the declining quality of eggs. Therefore, we can say that age and pregnancy matters a lot to start a family.
Stay tuned to LadiesAndBabies for reliable knowledge on pregnancy, women and child health.To help you determine what age might be best for you to get pregnant, asked your gynecologist. Also, check our list of Best Gynecologist in India and book your appointment with Credihealth now
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