Dual income household is the trend. Late marriage is the trend. Planning kids only after having lived one’s life without any responsibility is the trend. This is the reason, why discussions around infertility in most cases these days, have to do with age of women.

How does age affect fertility?

Two facts help explain this much talked about condition.

1. Total number of eggs that any woman will have in her lifetime is determined at the time of her birth. Along with age, the total number of available eggs also goes down.
2. Another important consideration is the genetic quality of eggs, which again degrades with age. Percentage of genetically abnormal eggs increases significantly with age.

Both the above factors lead to increasing rate of fertility and birth defects with the increase in woman’s age. While not explained technically, this is the thought that makes most Indian parents ask their children to plan for kids at right age.

What is the right age to get pregnant?

There is no sudden reduction in total number of eggs or the quality of egg. It is a continuous process. Therefore greater the age of woman, higher is the chances of infertility or abnormal birth. However historically it has been observed that pregnancy beyond 34 years of age gets exceedingly unsafe.

It is believed that women in teens and below 30 years of age ovulate eggs that are most fertile. As a woman goes beyond 30 years of age, quality of eggs to result in healthy fertilization decreases substantially.

How do I know if I am having right quality and number of eggs for fertility?

While age can be used to come out with decent guess on number of eggs FSH level is used by doctors to determine number of eggs.

The test result has been negative. What are the options in front of me?

For woman above 34 years of age, IVF (or In Vitro Fertilization) is one of the most common option. It is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body of woman. This is used when most other regular treatment have not been successful. This involves controlling the ovulation process and then removing eggs from woman’s body and then using sperm of the husband to fertilize it outside of woman’s body. Eggs can also be taken from a donor’s body and then fertilized by husband’s sperms.

What are the chances and risks with pregnancy with women of age above 35 years?

Risk of healthy pregnancy above 35 years is significantly reduced. Miscarriage and abnormal birth is very common even if the woman is able to conceive. Doctors most certainly suggest test for Down syndrome, which becomes as common as 1 in every 350 birth.

What are the risks with pregnancy with women of age above 40 years?

At this age, the number of eggs is very low and therefore ability to conceive goes down considerably even with IVF. It is strongly suggested that woman thinking oif pregnancy at this age should do it under close watch of a doctor.