With the media filled with celebrity stories of motherhood increasingly later in life, many women get inspired and often delay a life changing decision. Stories of Cameron Diaz, Amanda Holden, and even Janet Jackson giving birth later in life can – quite rightly be quite inspiring – but they may also give the impression that getting pregnant later in life is a walk in the park when the reality is that this is not always the case. There is plenty of research to support that female fertility begins to decline from the age of 30, with a more pronounced and steep decline happening once women hit the age of 35. Our article today will focus on the realities of getting pregnant after 30, things that you should be aware of, the societal trends, and most of all – how likely is it that you will be able to get pregnant after 30?
Fertility after 30: What you need to know
To really get to the nitty gritty, we first need to establish the importance of fertility levels when it comes to getting pregnant. You see, fertility levels are essentially a measure of an individual’s ability to reproduce. The higher these levels, the higher the likelihood of you getting pregnant naturally. If you’re someone in your 20s, even in the later half of your 20s, your fertility levels are likely to be good and you may find it easy to get pregnant. However, please understand that this is not necessarily the case for everyone; there are many different factors that can negatively influence your fertility levels. Sometimes there are physiological issues preventing pregnancy that have nothing to do with your fertility levels – but more on that later.
Things start to change as women reach their 30s. You’ve already heard that, biologically, women have a reproductive clock and this greatly determines the chances of conceiving naturally. This reproductive clock in this context, simply refers to the countdown to the point at which women will no longer be able to reproduce (once they reach menopause). At this point, there are not enough eggs available in the ovaries for successful reproduction and the menstrual cycle ceases.
Women have a finite number of eggs. At the time of birth, a baby girl can have as many as 1-2 million eggs in her ovaries. By the time a woman reaches the age of 35, this can drop to a measly 80,000 or less. The fewer the number of eggs, the fewer chances of male sperm successfully fusing with them to form a zygote (initial stages of a foetus). But there’s more – the quality of these eggs also decline with age; this can translate into an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities and babies born with the likes of Down’s syndrome and Turner syndrome. This natural decline in fertility that occurs is referred to as ‘age-related fertility decline’.
It’s not all about eggs!
But you may be surprised to learn that there are many other factors that can negatively influence an individual’s fertility levels, including lifestyle habits. Modern life is packed with keeping up with the Joneses, travelling the world, maintaining a career all at the same time as juggling our personal lives, leaving little time to invest in our health and managing stress levels. Couple this with habits that can be detrimental to fertility – smoking and drinking – and underlying health conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis and cardiac health conditions, and your chances of conceiving naturally diminish rapidly.
All of these factors collectively influence how easy it is to get pregnant naturally.
The right time to get pregnant
A question that haunts most couples is: When is the right time to get pregnant? The answer to this question is that there is no right time. For someone in their 40s, who may be leading a healthy lifestyle, getting pregnant naturally may not be such a big task. On the other hand, for someone in their late 20s with a very hectic lifestyle and PCOS, natural conception may be far from straight-forward.
Whichever boat you may be in, one thing that remains common is how your fertility levels can quite literally make or break your chances. But what if we tell you that there is a way to monitor these levels closely? This is where fertility tests come in. You can easily find a fertility clinic in London that offers a series of fertility assessments designed to help couples and individuals understand their reproductive potential. These tests often include the AMH (Anti Mullerian Hormone) test, male sperm assessment, saline hysterography, aqua scans and other tests of this nature that can help you better understand your ability to reproduce. Based on the results gathered from these tests, your fertility doctor can provide the most appropriate advice, giving you peace of mind and creating a bespoke fertility treatment plan (if needed) to achieve your desired goal. Whether it involves IVF (In-vitro fertilisation), IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), egg freezing, or any other assisted reproductive technology, your fertility doctor provide personalised guidance to help you make informed choices about your family planning.
Your fertility is in your hands
Many people believe that their fertility is beyond their control, and there is nothing that they can do about it. However, that is far from the truth, and for the most part (apart from instances of underlying medical health conditions), you can actually improve your fertility levels with simple lifestyle changes – provided you have the right guidance. From cutting back on alcohol, stopping smoking and eating a healthier, more varied diet, speak to your fertility doctor for personalised advice.
As discussed above, the reality of getting pregnant after your 30s is that it can be far more challenging than it might seem. For celebrities too, there is a lot more that meets the eye. Not everyone has an idea about the treatment options that they may have undergone behind the scenes.
If you are someone who would like to delay getting pregnant until later in life, consulting a fertility expert can help you understand the steps you may need to take to give you the best possible chance of achieving this. They can further help you assess your current fertility levels and advise on suitable pathways. With some lifestyle modifications, assistive reproductive technologies, and a little bit of optimism – you too can achieve your dream of starting a family.
