A new era is dawning on us in which the outlook towards life, marriage and having kids is changing. Earlier, the life template of the society had marriage and having kids to continue the lineage as its quintessential part. As progressive societies, we are aspiring for gender equality, financial independence and career success.
For the millennial woman, entering into the institution of marriage and motherhood is a subtle balance with her changing priorities. As a result of this, procreation has transitioned from being the norm to a life choice one makes.
The choices that are being made by the millennial woman are typically:
- Should I marry or remain single
- Once married should I have kids or not
- Should I be delaying pregnancy till financial and career stability is attained
With these options come challenges as well – especially, if delaying pregnancy which is more prevalent. While this rethink is impacting populations and economies in larger ways, we will discuss the medical and practical aspects in this post that will help a couple to be informed while making these choices.
Why is age very important in women and not much in men for fertility
The ability to release quality eggs with regular periodicity is the ultimate indicator of the health of the female reproductive system. The critical resource that enables this is the repository of eggs that is available – both in quantity as well as quality. A girl is born with a certain finite number of eggs in her body that she can spend over her reproductive life. Once she attains reproductive maturity, with every menstrual cycle, she expends a particular number of eggs. So, as age increases, the number of eggs in her kitty decreases and they age as well – thus reducing the quantity and quality. As a result, fertility declines and chances of pregnancy comes down.
For men, sperm production is a continuous process throughout life. Even though age does affect fertility, it does not occur due to a predictable depletion of resources as in women.
What is the ideal age for a woman to plan pregnancy
The role of biological aging influencing fertility should weigh in, when considering the decision to start a family. The ideal age is in the twenties and early thirties. By the age of 32 , fertility in women starts to decline and this decline becomes more steep when they are more than 37 years.
What are the problems of delaying pregnancy especially beyond 35 yrs?
- Difficulty in getting pregnant. Sometimes, requiring infertility treatment
- After becoming pregnant:
- Increased risk of miscarriages
- More probability of medical complications like high BP, gestational diabetes, growth restriction for baby etc.
- More chance of preterm birth, instrumental birth and cesarean birth
- Post delivery issues like lactation issues and postpartum stress and anxiety
What are the favorable factors for getting pregnant?
The main factors favorable for pregnancy are:
- Healthy male
- Normal height and weight (BMI)
- No addictions
- No significant medical or surgical issues
- Healthy female
- Less than 30 yrs old
- Regular menstrual cycles
- Normal height and weight (BMI)No addictions
- No significant medical or surgical issues
- Regular unprotected intercourse in required frequency (2 to 3 times a week)
What is the normal timeframe to wait for getting pregnant?
Even with all the above-mentioned favorable factors satisfied, the chance of pregnancy in 1 cycle is only around 30%. This increases to 85% at the end of 1 yr of consistent trying. This percentage reduces when any of the mentioned factors changes, the most significant one being the age of the female. Chance of conception comes down to 10% in one cycle by the age of 40.
Usually there is a tendency to expect immediate results after a delayed start and get into a condition of frustration and stress which again impacts negatively on the further attempts – creating a vicious cycle. So, one needs to be aware of the above-mentioned percentages and be realistic.
In conclusion, while balancing aspirations and family expansion, the impact of female age on fertility and medical complications during pregnancy should have ample weightage in the decisions made. 32 is an age one should consider as a last stop for a planned pregnancy to avoid unnecessary tensions.