With more and more couples putting off having a family until later in life, fertility for woman starting trying to conceive over the age of 35 has become a big issue.But can age really affect fertility that much, and is it still possible to get pregnant naturally when you are older?
While studies do show a decreasing fertility in both men and women due to hormone fluctuations, the biggest factor in older couples trying to conceive is the rate of miscarriage which increases slowly after the age of 30 and at around 42 years of age is a factor in about half of all pregnancies.
There is also an increased risk factor for birth defects, especially Down syndrome in babies born to woman over the age of 35.
But having said all that, if your biological clock is ticking away and you are ready to start a family then there are things that you can do to help improve your fertility and have that baby you’ve been dreaming about.
If you are over 35 and have been trying to conceive a child for over six months without any luck then you may need to visit your doctor to rule out any physical reasons for your inability to get pregnant. He may perform a laparoscopy to view your reproductive organs to make sure that everything is ok, as well as taking some tests to see your hormone levels.
If you are not ovulating correctly, or strongly enough, he may decide to prescribe fertility drugs such as Clomid to help improve your fertility.
Other things that you can do to help your fertility is to remain stress free (yes I know that’s easier said than done when you are trying to get pregnant), exercise regularly, keep your weight within a healthy weight range and remain as healthy as you can.
They when you do fall pregnant, have the necessary checks to ensure that your baby is healthy too.
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