The trend today with regards to having a baby is when you are 30.  The rate of women trying to conceive during their 30’s going to 40’s is increasing.  Other people suggest that our “30’s is the new 20’s”.  The world we live in today is quite different than the world of our parents or grandparents and there are a number of reasons why getting pregnant at this age is happening more than before.  One reason is that, today, more and more women are focusing on careers or education than in previous generations.  Most couples will succeed in conceiving but other couples may face difficulty making them turn to fertility treatments.  The older you are, the higher your chances of encountering various fertility obstacles, challenges, and delays. In other words, our fertility declines as we age.

Couples with any age have only a 20% chance of achieving a pregnancy each menstrual cycle.  Active fertility charting and ovulation testing, however, will increase those odds substantially.  A woman who is trying to conceive in her 30’s have a chance of less than 15% to conceive.  The monthly odds of conceiving decrease as a woman age due to various physiological issues such as hormonal balance.  This means it is much harder to get a positive result that you are pregnant if you are in your 30’s.  To increase your odds in becoming pregnant, you should stay fit and stay healthy.  Predicting your ovulation is also important as well as charting fertility.  By knowing your ovulatory cycles, you will your days when to make love and increase your chances of conceiving.

As we age, the balance of hormones also decline and with this, our fertility also declines.  The balance between reproductive hormones is crucial for regular ovulation.  A woman’s egg and hormones do not flow with the same balance and stability when she is in her 30’s.  The quality of these eggs as well as the capacity to stimulate maturation also is affected.  Because of this, menstrual cycles are difficult to predict and sometimes, ovulation does not also take place.  The presence of cervical mucus also plays a vital role in fertility.  As we age, cervical mucus also declines.  This may be related to hormonal imbalances as well.  Tests such as follicle stimulating tests can be used at home to assess whether you have reproductive hormone imbalance as well as the condition of your ovaries in producing eggs.

To optimize your chance of being pregnant at the age of 35, the first thing you should do is to have a healthy mental well being.  To do this, calibrate your expectations and realize that you may or you may not get pregnant.  Note that even for someone that is in their 20’s, the chance of getting pregnant is only 20%.  Simply realize that you may not get pregnant in just one night.  Reducing stress or anxiety is the second step for boosting your pregnancy chances. The less you worry, the better your mind and body work together.

Along with healthy well-being, a healthy physical well-being is also important.  Maintaining the proper weight is crucial as being overweight or underweight can adversely affect hormonal balance and cycle regularity.  Eat a healthy diet as well as exercises like yoga can help you.  Taking prenatal vitamins also contribute to the success of you having a conception.

You should also chart your basal body temperatures.  Knowing when you are ovulating will give you a widened opportunity of getting pregnant.  If you know when you ovulate and can time intercourse for your most fertile days, your chances will increase.  However at age 35, guessing your ovulation period is not sufficient, that is why starting an ovulation calendar is important.  If you have some cycle irregularities, herbal fertility remedies such as red clover and raspberry leaves can help.

The best thing to do if your 35 years old or older is to arrange a preconception visit.  It is best that you discuss your medical history, health status, and medications that you are taking with your doctor.  You can clarify your doctor about conceiving tips as well as expectations and they will point you in the right direction.  Your doctor will likely see if you have any interfering fertility issues as well.

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Filed under: Getting Pregnant

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