| What are Your Chances of Getting Pregnant After | | | | Disease Control, the percentage of live births from IVF |
| 35? | | | | procedures using the mother’s eggs decreases |
| Getting pregnant after 35 may be more difficult than | | | | with age. At age 31, the percentage of live births after |
| at age 25, but it’s not necessarily impossible. What | | | | IVF treatment was about 38%. By age 39, the |
| are your chances for getting pregnant after age 35? | | | | percentage of live births was lower, around 22%. |
| Why is it more difficult than in your 20s and early 30s, | | | | After age 43, the percentage of live births drops to |
| and why do doctors recommend seeking help getting | | | | less than 10%. |
| pregnant sooner than later if you’re past age 35? | | | | One way around this is by using an egg donor. Even |
| Fertility and Age | | | | though IVF success was less than 10% at age 40 |
| If you follow the news, you've no doubt seen the | | | | using the mother’s own eggs, women who used |
| myriad of features focusing on women waiting until | | | | an egg donor (from a much younger woman) at age |
| after age 35 to have children and having trouble | | | | 40 had a success rate of about 45%. That’s an |
| getting pregnant. But not everyone has trouble getting | | | | even better rate than women using their own eggs in |
| pregnant after age 35. You may know of families who | | | | their early 30s. |
| got pregnant quickly in their late 30s, or even early 40s. | | | | Increased Risk of Birth Defects and Miscarriage |
| However, statistically speaking, your chances of getting | | | | Besides the ovaries being less likely to produce mature |
| pregnant after age 35 are lower. | | | | eggs for ovulation, age also increases the chances of |
| Fertility peaks in most women in the 20s, and gradually | | | | genetic problems. |
| begins to decline in the late 20s. At around age 35, | | | | This is the reason for the increased risk of Down |
| fertility starts to decline at a much more rapid pace. | | | | Syndrome babies in women over age 35. At age 25, 1 |
| For example, in any given month, your chances of | | | | in 1,250 women will give birth to a child with Down |
| getting pregnant at age 30 are about 20%. At age 40, | | | | Syndrome. At age 30, it’s a 1 in 952 risk, and by |
| your chance of getting pregnant in any given month is | | | | age 35, the chance is 1 in 378. |
| just 5%. | | | | The risk for miscarriage also rises with age. About |
| Why Fertility Declines | | | | 10% of pregnancies end in miscarriage for women in |
| Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. | | | | their early 20s. By the early 30s, 12% of women |
| While we are born with over a million eggs, by puberty | | | | experience miscarriages. After age 35, 18% of |
| just 300,000 are left. From this huge number of eggs, | | | | pregnancies will end in miscarriage. And in the early |
| only 300 will ever become mature and be released in | | | | 40s, 34% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. |
| the process known as ovulation. | | | | Bottom Line on Fertility After Age 35 |
| Way before menopause begins, our bodies' | | | | Whether we like it or not, fertility in women begins to |
| reproductive capabilities slow down, becoming less | | | | slowly decline in the late 20s, beginning a more rapid |
| effective at producing mature, healthy eggs. As you | | | | decline around age 35. Besides the decreased chance |
| age and come closer to menopause, your ovaries | | | | of getting pregnant, women after age 35 have an |
| respond less well to the hormones that are responsible | | | | increased risk of miscarriage. Fertility treatment |
| for helping the eggs ovulate. | | | | success also decreases with age, specifically if the |
| This natural decline of fertility happens in the healthiest | | | | couple uses the woman’s eggs (as opposed to |
| of women, though bad health habits, like smoking, have | | | | donor eggs). |
| been shown to speed up the decline of fertility. | | | | Despite these grim statistics, not everyone will have |
| Fertility Treatment Success Rates After Age 35 | | | | trouble getting pregnant after 35. However, if you are |
| Some couples may think that fertility treatment like IVF | | | | having trouble, and you’re older than 35, you |
| can help beat the decline of fertility that comes with | | | | shouldn't try on your own for longer than six months. |
| age. However, this isn’t accurate. | | | | The sooner you get help, the better your chances of |
| According to statistics collected by the Center for | | | | treatment success. |