Many women today are finally ready to have a child in their thirties. This is often an age at which women feel settled and start to think of motherhood after working hard to establish a career and waiting to meet the right partner.
Our thirties are also the most crucial period of change in our fertility. At the start of the decade most women are still very fertile with a good chance of conceiving, but by the time you reach the age of 35 you are only half as fertile as you were at 25. As you approach 40 your fertility declines sharply, and while some women conceive perfectly easily at 38 or 39, others will have problems.
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| Infertility And Age |
Although you need to be aware of the age-related changes in your fertility, it is also important to remember that many women today have their first child in their thirties without any difficulty, and there are some advantages to being a 30-something mother once you have got pregnant. You are likely to have a healthier lifestyle than your younger counterparts, to eat more healthily and nutritiously and to take more exercise. All of these will benefit your baby as you go through pregnancy. You are also likely to be more tolerant of the changes pregnancy and motherhood will bring to your life, and to be a more confident parent.
'By the time you get to your thirties, you know who you are and feel a bit settled. When you've met the right person, then go for your family, Rear your children between 30-and 40-something, and then you can claim some life back again.' Siobhan, 41
'I'm trying to accept that I'm older and I'm doing everything I can to try to offset my age. It depresses me to even use the word, but you are in a race. Every month when you get your period, the finishing line gets further and further away.' Lona, 37
Getting pregnant in your forties
By the time you reach 40, your fertility is in sharp decline. On average, a naturally fertile woman who doesn't use contraception will have her last child at around this age. At 40, most women are still having regular periods, but once you reach 45, the menstrual cycle will usually start to become irregular. The menopause may not follow for another six or seven years, but your fertility is compromised for some time before this.
The risk of miscarriage also increases in older woman. It is thought that up to half of pregnancies in women over 40 may miscarry, but this often happens early and goes unnoticed. There is also a higher risk of problems for the baby, and women in their forties have a greater chance of having a child with Down's syndrome or chromosomal abnormalities.
During your forties the number of follicles in your ovaries is declining rapidly and you not only have fewer eggs but their quality is also affected. It is thought that the aging hypothalamus in the brain may play a role here too, as the female reproductive system is very finely tuned, and even a small irregularity can send it out of synch. Although your womb is also getting older, this seems to be less of a problem where maintaining a pregnancy is concerned, as women in their forties who use eggs donated from a younger woman are often successful.
Being pregnant can be more difficult for older women. Mothers in their forties are more at risk of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, and may find pregnancy exhausting. However, babies born to mothers in their forties have some advantages as their parents are likely to be more confident and may have waited a long time for a baby, who will be much loved.
'I've only just turned 40, and the build-up was dreadful. Forty and no children... I go to the park and I see all these girls that are my age or younger with all their kids packing up a picnic, and I want to be a part of that I want that in my life.' Andrea, 40
'I was 41 when I had my daughter. On balance, it's different but it wasn't any harder for me being a mother in my forties. Being older, you do have less energy, but I think you make up for it in other ways. You've got more patience and you're more accepting' Tanya, 44. To find out more, you can check out Infertility And Age.
