Best Time to Get Pregnant

Most of you might be thinking about starting your journey towards becoming a mom, a parent. You must have already read and heard a lot of dos and don’ts and checked out every magazine and website that could be of help or let you learn more. You may have started to think of what you would call your baby, even found a few cute little pet names. Many of you might be all prepared and mentally ready to welcome a little one to your home, your family.

Let us know more about the best time for you to get pregnant is and why

Today, thanks to a whole set of contraception methods and other evolving technologies people have more control of when they want to start their own families and begin their journey as parents. It is okay to wait as long as you want, but what you must know is that it can make pregnancy a little harder.

Fertility naturally declines with age and giving birth to a baby in later years may increase the risk of pregnancy complications. However, there is no “optimal age” to get pregnant. The decision to start a family should be based on many factors, including your age and your readiness to become a parent. Just because you are in your 30s or 40s does not mean you will not have a healthy baby.

• Your twenties are your best time

Women are most fertile and have the best chance of getting pregnant in their 20s.

This is the time when you have the highest number of good quality eggs available, and your pregnancy risks are lowest.

At age 25, your odds of conceiving after 3 months of trying are just under 20 percent.

• If you are in your thirties

The fertility rate begins to decline gradually from around the age of 32. After the age of 35, this decline increases fast. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have in life. That is about 1 million of them. The number of eggs gradually decreases over time. If you are 37 years old, you are estimated to still have about 25,000 eggs left. At age of 35, there is about a 12 percent chance of getting pregnant after trying for 3 months straight. The risk of miscarriage and genetic abnormalities also begins to increase after the age of 35. If your baby is born later, you have a high chance of facing more complications during your pregnancy or the time of delivery. For this reason, your doctor may recommend additional screening and testing for you and your baby.

• In your forties?

The natural fertility of women in their 40s is then running towards a sharp decline. At age 40, there is about a 7 percent chance of getting pregnant after trying constantly for 3 months. Over the course of time, the quantity and quality of eggs slowly start to decline. Older eggs have more chromosomal abnormalities and are more likely to have a baby with a birth defect.

Most women in their 40s can still have a healthy pregnancy and have a baby, but the risk is significantly increased during this period. These risks include cesarean delivery, premature birth, low birth weight, birth defects and stillbirth. Diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are common in women after the age of 35. These can lead to pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.

After age 40, your doctor may do extra testing and monitoring to look for complications.

What you need to know if you are over 35

If you are over 35 and have been constantly trying to get pregnant for more than 6 months, you might be dealing with fertility issues. Your doctor or a fertility specialist can help determine why you aren`t pregnant yet and recommend what further steps you should take and consider for trying to conceive. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can help you conceive, but they can`t entirely make up for age-related declines in your fertility. Doctors treat fertility issues in women with drugs that stimulate egg production, and techniques like in vitro fertilization (IVF). But the odds of having a successful pregnancy with these methods do get lower as you age.

Another option you have in front of you is to use healthy donor eggs. The egg is fertilized by the sperm of the partner and transferred to the uterus.

You can also Freeze your eggs

If you are not ready to start a family right now, but you do know you want a family in the future, it is a good idea to consider freezing your eggs during the peak of your reproductive years.

First, you need to take hormones to stimulate the production of eggs. Then take out the eggs and freeze them. They can stay frozen for several years. When ready to use, the eggs need to be thawed and then the sperm needs to be injected in order to fertilize them. The resulting embryo implants in the uterus. Freezing eggs does not guarantee a pregnancy. In the late 30s or 40s, it becomes more difficult to get pregnant, even with young eggs. But it can ensure that you have a healthy egg available when you are ready.

Positive advantages of wanting to wait to have children later:

If you are sure you want to have babies later in life, then you need to know that in addition to giving you time to explore your career and relationship, waiting to get pregnant has other benefits to both you and your baby.

A 2016 study found that older mothers are more patient and tend to yell and punish their children less. Their children also have fewer social, emotional, and behavioral problems in elementary school.

Research has also found that children born to older mothers are healthier and end up better educated than their peers who were born to younger mothers.

Waiting to get pregnant might even help you live longer. Another 2016 study found that the odds of living to 90 were much higher in women who delayed having children. There`s no proof that delaying childbearing directly causes any of these effects. It`s possible that other factors in older mothers besides their age might have played a role. But these findings suggest there are some advantages to waiting.

Know more about male fertility:

A man`s fertility also additionally declines with age. But this technique takes place later, commonly beginning around the age of 40. After that age, men have a decrease in semen quantity and sperm count. The sperm they do have don`t swim as well. The sperm cells of an older man are much more likely to have genetic abnormalities than the ones of a more youthful man. The older a person is, the longer it will take him to get his accomplice pregnant. And his accomplice is at extra risk for a miscarriage, irrespective of her age. This doesn`t imply that a person can`t father youngsters in his 40s and beyond. But it is a bit greater tough than it changed into in advance in his life.

Other things you can do:

If you are thinking of or trying to get pregnant, congratulations on your decision. Pregnancy logistics may seem obvious, but things can be a little complicated given the timing of ovulation, age, and infertility. When you try to get pregnant, it can be overwhelming and sometimes things can feel like they are going out of hand or even unmanageable. However, there are many factors that can be controlled. If you are thinking of getting pregnant, getting your body in the best shape will only help. Take these few tips into consideration and make them your priority at least three months before you try.

• Let us begin by managing your weight: A normal body mass index (BMI) is important for your overall health, but also for your pregnancy. Underweight or overweight increases the likelihood of infertility problems. Many underweight or overweight women have no problems with pregnancy, but ovulation problems are more common in these two groups. If you are underweight or overweight, see your doctor before identifying disorders.
• Consume nutritious food: A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and dairy products promotes normal functioning of the reproductive system. The American Pregnancy Association also recommends consuming more of the following nutrients before you get pregnant.
• Monitor your caffeine and alcohol consumption: It`s also important to monitor your caffeine intake while trying to conceive. While there`s no clear link between caffeine consumption and fertility, it is known that it can lead to fertility problems or miscarriage. Alcohol should be limited during preconception, too. Several large studies indicate that alcohol may have a threshold effect on fertility.
• Make sure you exercise regularly. Not only will being fit make pregnancy and labour/delivery easier on your body but participating in moderate physical activity may help you to conceive as well. One study found that moderate exercise (considered walking, leisurely biking, and golfing) was related to a shorter conception period. On the other hand, it was also found that among normal-weight women who were struggling to conceive, intense exercise (such as running, biking, and vigorous swimming) decreased the chance of conception by 42 percent. This effect was not seen in women who were overweight or obese.
• Quit smoking: It`s well known that smoking can cause many health problems, like heart disease, lung cancer, and strokes. Unfortunately, according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, women who also smoke don`t conceive as efficiently as non-smokers. The risk for fertility problems increases with the number of cigarettes smoked daily.

Waiting a lot can make your pregnancy difficult. However, it is possible to have a healthy baby in your 30s or 40s. The best time to get pregnant is when you feel it suits you. It is not unreasonable to wait to start building your family until you feel safer in your career and finances. If you decide to wait, it is advisable to consult your doctor or fertility specialist to make sure there are no health problems when you are ready.