Can I Get Pregnant At 30

What To Watch For

Women who become pregnant in their 30s and early 40s can have safe, healthy pregnancies, says Ellie Ragsdale, MD, director of fetal intervention at UH Cleveland Medical Center. But they do face a higher risk of some problems. She mentions three areas that women should be aware of:

• Trouble conceiving: Starting in their early 30s, women become less fertile, and it may take them longer to get pregnant.
• Complications during pregnancy: Women older than age 35 have a higher risk for diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy. Older women are also more likely to be pregnant with multiples.
• Complications during delivery: Women in their 30s are more likely to need a cesarean section than younger women. Women who have their first baby after age 35 are also at increased risk for other delivery complications, such prolonged labor.

How does a mothers age affect her baby? Babies born to older mothers may have a higher risk for chromosomal birth defects, prematurity, and low birth weight, Dr. Ragsdale says.

How Is Infertility Defined

Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant after one year of unprotected sex for women under 35 and six months for women 35 and older.

The vast majority of people will become pregnant within the first 12 months of trying to conceive with regular unprotected intercourse, says Cross. After six months to a year of trying depending on a womans age we recommend that a couple comes in for an infertility evaluation. At that point, its more likely that theres a problem preventing pregnancy.

Scan Your Medicine Cabinet

If youre regularly taking any drugs regularly, be sure to check with your doctor that those medications are safe for preconception and pregnancy. He or she may suggest switching to another thats better for expecting women.

Also get your practitioners okay to continue any vitamins or herbal supplements youre popping. Too much vitamin A, for example, can be dangerous during pregnancy.

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How To Boost Your Fertility In Your 30s

Giving up gluten. Drinking green juice. Acupuncture treatments. Click through social media and youll find a million solutions for increasing fertility in your thirties. But which ones actually work? How much control do you really have over your fertility as you approach your thirties?

First, a biology brush-up: Women are born with a finite number of eggs, explains Thomas A. Molinaro, MD, MSCE, FACOG, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey . As women age, egg quality and quantity declines. This means that your cycles may become less regular, and you may have some cycles where no egg is released. There may also be an issue with the quality of the eggs, which could make it difficult to conceive.

While theres no way to increase the quantity of your eggs, there are steps you can take to try to improve your fertility. That said, if youre having difficulty conceivingdefined as trying for a year for those under 35 and six months for those over 35, its a good idea to speak with your doctor, who may refer you to a fertility specialist for individualized treatment. Here, some general tips for how to potentially boost fertility in your thirties:

Rethink Your Exercise Routine

Exercise may be too much of a good thing when it comes to getting pregnant in your thirties. Some studies have found that intense exercise may inhibit conception because it may cause you to skip ovulation or experience implantation failure. That said, sedentary behavior has also been linked to infertility. Discuss your workout routine with your doctor, who can suggest whether to slow down or step it up.

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Day 2: Learn The Dos And Donts

There are a lot of things youll hear about whats safe and whats not during pregnancy. Some of this isnt so scientific. Other items are incredibly important for your growing babys health. One of the hottest items for debate? What foods to shun during pregnancy.

Pregnant women are more likely than other healthy adults to contract listeria from contaminated foods. Start reading labels on your favorite foods now to make sure they are pasteurized.

Women’s Age And Fertility

A woman is born with all the eggs she is going to have in her lifetime. Her eggs age with her, decreasing in quality and quantity. Age is the single most important factor affecting a woman ‘s fertility. While good health improves the chance of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby, it doesn ‘t override the effects of age on a woman ‘s fertility.

A woman in her early to mid-20s has a 2530% chance of getting pregnant every month. Fertility generally starts to reduce when a woman is in her early 30s, and more so after the age of 35. By age 40, the chance of getting pregnant in any monthly cycle is around 5%.

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How Can I Get Pregnant Naturally After 35 And Over 40

If youre trying to get pregnant after you turn 35, or older, you can maximise your chances of conception by knowing when you ovulate, which is when your ovaries release an egg. One reason why many couples struggle to get pregnant is that 1 in 2 couples may be trying to conceive at the wrong time of the month4. There are only a few days each menstrual cycle when you can get pregnant and your fertile days can vary between cycles. If you know when your fertile days are, it can help you get pregnant faster. detect the surge of a hormone called luteinising hormone which occurs 24 to 36 hours before ovulation and identifies your 2 most fertile days. Since can survive for up to 5 days, your fertility window is actually around 6 days, so you may want to invest in a test that also detects a rise in estrogen. This rise in estrogen happens in the days leading up to your LH surge, so identifying these days gives you a wider fertility window giving you more opportunities to get pregnant.

Professor William Ledger, Fertility Specialist

Have Sex Every Two Days

If youre trying to conceive in your thirties, aim to get busy once every two days. Theres this misconception that you must have sex the day you ovulate, when thats not necessary for conception, Molinaro says. Some people are also concerned that if they have sex every day, it may decrease the efficacy of sperm, but theres not a lot of research on whether or not thats the case. Once every other day should cover your basesplus, its still fun that way and not a chore, which isnt what you want trying to conceive to become.

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The Mans Age Is Irrelevant When It Comes To Conception

Yes, men may become fathers in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, but its a total myth that male age has no impact on fertility. Studies show that increasing male age is linked to a statistically significant decline in fertility, regardless of the womans age and any other risk factors. One study of more than 8,000 pregnancies found that conception in one year was 30 percent less likely for men over age 40 compared with men under age 30.

I always assess the male partner as well as the female, because not getting pregnant is often a product of subfertility in both partners, and we want to maximize both to get a baby, says Dr. Minkin.

Where To Get Help

• Harris I, Fronczak C, Roth L, et al. 2011, Fertility and the aging male ‘, Reviews in Urology, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. e184e190.
• McGrath J, Petersen L, Agerbo E, et al. 2014, A comprehensive assessment of parental age and psychiatric disorders ‘, JAMA Psychiatry, vol. 4081, epub.
• Schmidt L, Sobotka T, Bentzen JG, et al. 2012, Demographic and medical consequences of the postponement of parenthood ‘, Human Reproduction Update, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 2943.
• Steiner AZ, Jukic AM 2016, Impact of female age and nulligravidity on fecundity in an older reproductive age cohort‘, Fertility and Sterility, vol. 105, no. 6, pp. 15841588.
• Biro MA, Davey M-A, Carolan M, Kealy M 2012, Advanced maternal age and obstetric morbidity for women giving birth in Victoria, Australia: A population based study ‘, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 229234.

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How Long Should You Try Before Getting Help

“Infertility is defined as the inability for a couple to conceive after having unprotected sex for a year,” says Professor Harper.

“Seeking advice between nine months and a year is probably advisable”

She recommends trying for a year naturally before seeking medical help between 30 and 35. If you’re in your later thirties, then getting your hormones and your partner’s sperm count for potential issues checked by a doctor after more like six months is a good idea.

“In women under 40, more than eight out of ten couples will conceive within one year,” says Cannon.”But it is important to take action more quickly in your late 30s seek medical guidance after three months of trying but understand that it might be perfectly normal to take this long and you may well be sent away.”

Day 1: Quit Tobacco Alcohol And Drugs

Smoking, using drugs, and drinking alcohol can harm an unborn baby in a number of ways. Smoking exposes your baby to harmful chemicals, restricts blood flow, and may even cause preterm labor.

Drinking puts baby at risk of fetal alcohol syndrome . Using drugs is not only illegal, but it also may cause birth defects, miscarriage, or stillbirth.

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On Which Days Of Your Cycle Can You Get Pregnant

There are just six days during your cycle when your chances of getting pregnant are the highest the five days that lead up to ovulation and the 24 hours after ovulation. Sperm can live in your body for up to five days, while the egg lives for no more than 24 hours.

The key to determining the best time to try to get pregnant is to know when you ovulate. The precise timing of ovulation is hard to define, as it can happen at different times in each cycle.

Ovulation is when your body releases a mature egg from the ovary. This egg then travels down your uterine tube to be fertilized. The egg is more likely to be fertilized if the sperm is in your uterine tube already. Once fertilized and attached to the uterus, it will create an embryo, which will grow into a baby.

Your most fertile time consists of the five days leading to ovulation and one day after it. Having sexual intercourse during this window gives you the best chance of conceiving.

If You Cant Get Pregnant Naturally Fertility Treatments Will Work

One of the biggest misconceptions about getting pregnant after 40 is the belief that women can resort to IVF and consider that a guarantee, says Dr. Klein. While IVF is a great technology that has allowed many women to become mothers who may not have been able to otherwise, it is not a guarantee.

According to the CDC Assisted Reproductive Technology National Summary Report 2015, 20 percent of women who have fertility treatment using their own fresh eggs get pregnant. At 41, the figure drops to 15 percent, and at 44 only 3 percent of women get pregnant. However, treatment is more effective with donor eggs or a womans own frozen eggs. If a woman knows she wants children or may want children later in life, egg freezing is a good option to consider and will increase the success rates of IVF, if needed, later on, suggests Klein.

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Getting Pregnant When Youre Under 35

Advantages

• Assuming no medical issues affect their fertility, younger women typically find it easier to get pregnant. In fact, the peak age to get pregnant is between the late teens and late 20s.
• Getting pregnant earlier means youll probably have plenty of energy to care for a baby and keep up with an always-on-the-go toddler.
• The odds of miscarriage, preterm birth, birth defects, genetic abnormalities and pregnancy complications like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes are all lower among women under 35.
• Having a baby while youre younger means that your parents will be younger too.

Disadvantages

• Younger parents may not be as financially stable as those who are older. And a family may require a dual income so you may have to work at least part-time, even if you’d prefer to stay at home.
• The relationship of young couples might not be as stable, and adding a pregnancy and baby to the equation can cause additional strain.
• Starting a family earlier can make keeping up relationships with non-parent friends more challenging.

Women under 35 should see a specialist if they’re unsuccessful at getting pregnant after 12 months of trying.

How Long Does It Usually Take To Conceive

If you and your partner are healthy and under the age of 35, you have about a 30 percent chance of conceiving in the first month of trying and an 80 percent chance in the first year.

Infertility isnt diagnosed until youve been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for a full year. If youre under 35 and have been trying for a year, you may want to consider making an appointment with a fertility specialist. If youre 35 or older, youve got a little less time to work with, so make the appointment after six months.

Older couples may take longer to conceive because of age-related declines in the egg and sperm. When women reach menopause, they no longer release eggs for fertilization, making it almost impossible to conceive without medical intervention.

The decision to start a family is exciting and deeply personal, as each persons experience is unique. Contact your health care provider with any questions about conception, and reach out to your loved ones if youd like additional support.

• Analysis of period and cycle length
• Chances of getting pregnant and ovulation forecast
• Predictions of next period

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Plan For Good Prenatal Care

Keep in mind that women older than age 30 can have successful pregnancies and deliveries. Advances in medical care for both mother and baby can help prevent and treat many of the risks they face.

Early and regular prenatal care is key to having a healthy baby at any age, Dr. Ragsdale says. Its important to make sure youre in good health before and during your pregnancy. Eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly. Avoid cigarettes and alcohol, which can harm the baby.

In addition, Dr. Ragsdale advises taking 400 mcg of folic acid every day before and during pregnancy to help reduce the risk of birth defects. For women who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends taking low-dose aspirin starting at the end of the first trimester to lower the risk for preeclampsia. Talk with your health care provider to determine your exact dose and frequency.

Discuss any pregnancy plans with your provider, who can identify any special needs you may have and help make suggestions. Together, you can make pregnancy and motherhood wonderful experiences, Dr. Ragsdale says.

Myth #: Theres No Way To Increase Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant Naturally

FACT: When it comes to your eggs, you get what you get, and unfortunately, you cant make more. However, there are plenty of ways to increase the chances of fertilizing the eggs that you do have.

To increase your chances of getting pregnant after 35, you can:

• See your physician for a preconception appointment, when they can review things that will impact your ability to get pregnant, such as your medical history, current medications, and overall lifestyle.
• Prioritize your health by cutting down on alcohol and caffeine, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Pay attention to your body and fertility signs, such as your basal body temperature and cervical fluid, which can be tested using ovulation prediction tools you can buy at the store.
• Take an at-home fertility test, which checks for key elements that affect getting pregnant.
• Start taking a supplement with myo-inositol in it, which can improve egg quality, or folic acid, which can prevent neural tube defects .

If you havent gotten pregnant after six months of trying to conceive, you may want to consider contacting your physician, who may refer you to a fertility specialist. Together, you can come up with a plan to increase your chances of pregnancy.

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When To Call A Doctor

Doctors recommend that you see a doctor about your fertility if

• You’re 35 years or older and have been trying for at least six months
• You’re younger than 35 and have been trying for at least one year

If either of these fit your situation then see a doctor, even if you have no symptoms of a fertility problem.

Its Easy To Check His Sperm Count

According to the Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, up to 40-50% of infertility in couples is linked to the male. One of the most common problems contributing to male infertility is low sperm count. You can check if your sperm count meets the threshold for fertility quickly, easily, and privately at home with SpermCheck Fertility. This FDA-cleared kit is available online or at your local retailer and is a product of DNA Diagnostics Center , a corporate sponsor of the American Pregnancy Association. SpermCheck is simplelike a home pregnancy test and results are ready in minutes. Keep in mind that other fertility factors like sperm mobility and morphology are also important and should be checked by a healthcare professional.

If youre younger than 35 and havent gotten pregnant after trying for a year, or youre older than 35 and youve been trying for six months, it may be time to see a fertility specialist.

If you still have further questions regarding ovulation, we encourage you to talk with your health care provider or contact the American Pregnancy Association for more information. Being informed about how your body works can help you feel more in charge of your health.

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