What Every 40-Something Should Know About Their Fertility

Fertility in Your 40s

From falling in love and getting married, to buying your first home, your 20s and 30s were filled with a lot of life lessons. And now as you enter the next chapter of your life, you may soon find yourself facing a new journey — growing your family.

Whether due to personal preference, financial stability, or a number of other reasons, birth rates for women over 35 have been steadily rising for more than 20 years. But having children later in life does present some unique challenges — here’s all you need to know.

How Age Impacts Fertility

Age plays one of the most important roles when it comes to a woman’s ability to conceive, carry, and give birth to a healthy baby. This is because the body goes through so many changes as you continue to age. And these changes include the quantity and quality of eggs being produced.

A woman’s peak reproductive age is throughout her 20s, which gradually declines into the 30s. Once a woman hits her early-30s, her chances of getting pregnant are about 20 percent. By age 40, a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant is now less than 5 percent during each cycle.

Risk Factors

Women in their 40s who are able to conceive are at a higher risk for certain complications during their pregnancy. Some of these include:

• Miscarriage
• High blood pressure
• Gestational diabetes
• Preeclampsia

There is also a higher risk for fetal development issues throughout pregnancy when women give birth later in life. This can include:

• Birth defects
• Low birth weight

Fertility Options

While statistics and risk factors can be intimidating, it is important for you to know that you still have options when it comes to conception later in life! If you’ve been trying to get pregnant for more than six months without success, it’s time to meet with a fertility specialist for an evaluation. From there, your doctor will recommend which treatments may be best for you in trying to conceive.

Reproductive Specialists in Atlanta

When it comes to your health, knowledge is power. In an increasingly digital world, it’s easy to research your fertility questions or concerns online. Unfortunately, not everything you may read is factual. So if you have any questions about fertility as you age, our Atlanta fertility specialists are here to help.