9 things to know about conceiving as you get older
by Becki Ledford, M.A., cPT
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the average age of women at childbirth is increasing. According to the CDC report, between 2000-2014, the percentage of women aged 25-29, 30-34, and 35 and over each increased. While research has found risks for both very young mothers and those over 35, there are some important things to know about conceiving as you get older, no matter your current age.
Fertility decreases as you age
I spoke with Dr. Erika Munch, a fertility specialist at the Texas Fertility Center and she laid it out for me. “Not every egg and sperm combination can make a baby,” she said, and explained that the likelihood of an egg and sperm combination resulting in conception changes as we age. “When we are in our 20s, the chances of conceiving in any given cycle are around 20-25 percent. Between 30-35 that chance is 15-20 percent. After age 35, there is a much more rapid decline in fertility, and by age 40, this chance is less than ten percent.”