Can Age Affect My Ability To Get Pregnant
If you are over 35 then, perhaps try for just six months before getting help. And if youre 40 or over it is advisable to go and see your doctor as soon as you decide to try for a baby.
The reason the advice above varies by age, is that your age is a key factor in likelihood to get pregnant. A womans natural fertility will already start to decline in her late 20s due to the fact she has fewer eggs and the quality of the remaining eggs is likely to be lower than when she was younger.
After 35 years old egg depletion is at a critical level and after 40 years old the chances of achieving pregnancy are very much lower. This is true not only for natural conception but also for assisted conception.
According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, about 95% of women aged 35 who have regular unprotected sexual intercourse will get pregnant after three years of trying, but for women aged 38, only 75% will do so2.
The graph above shows the effect of age on the declining chances of conception.
Professor William Ledger, Fertility Specialist
How Long Is Too Long To Get Pregnant
Just because youve been trying to get pregnant for longer than a year doesnt mean youre infertile. Remember, even for people with average fertility, seven percent of couples wont get pregnant within a year. And if you do discover a condition impacting your fertility, it doesnt necessarily mean you need medical intervention to conceive, Mukherjee says.
When youre trying to get pregnant, the components that matter are quality eggs, regular ovulation, healthy sperm, and a healthy uterus and fallopian tubes, Mukherjee says. If theres a problem with two or more components, the chances are higher that a couple will need medical intervention to make a baby. But if theres a problem with only one of those components, the chances are good that a couple will be able to get pregnant without assistance. Itll just take more time.
For example, polycystic ovarian syndrome is a major cause of irregular periods, impacting 6 to 12 percent of women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with PCOS often take longer to get pregnant because they tend to ovulate less often. Instead of 13 opportunities per year to conceive, you might be down to six or seven, Mukherjee says. But in the long-term, women with PCOS conceive at the same rate as women without PCOS.
The problem is, not all couples have time. If you start trying to get pregnant at 35, you cant afford to wait, Mukherjee says. But if youre in your 20s or early 30s? It might just take patience.
When To Get Help
If you’ve been trying for less than six months, don’t fret just yet. Keep trying. If you’re older than 35, and you’ve been trying for six months, see a doctor. Since age can be a factor, it’s important you don’t wait. You may still conceive on your own! However, it’s best to get checked out.
What if you’re younger than 35, have been trying for six months, and don’t want to wait until one year passes? Some doctors won’t do fertility testing until a year goes by for women younger than age 35. However, if you have timed intercourse each of those six months, you may be able to convince your doctor to investigate sooner. One way to show this is with a fertility calendar.
If you’ve been trying for a year and you’re not yet pregnant, you should definitely see a doctor. Some couples hold out hope, not wanting to face the possibility of infertility. This is completely understandable. But since the passage of time could lower the chances of fertility treatments working. It’s better to seek help sooner.
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How Long Is Pregnancy
Pregnancies last approximately 280 days, which is 40 weeks, or about 10 monthsnot nine like we traditionally hear. Your pregnancy is considered full-term after 37 weeks. Delivery prior to 37 weeks is considered preterm.
- At 37 weeks, the pregnancy is considered early-term .
- At 41 weeks, the pregnancy is considered late-term.
- At 42 weeks, the pregnancy is considered post-term.
How Soon Can We Try And Get Pregnant After Having A Baby
For the health of mom and the baby, research recommends waiting at least 18 to 24 months but less than five years between pregnancies. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises waiting for at least six months or more but cautions against the risks of pregnancy before 18 months after your baby is born.
Recent research has shown that the risks that were originally thought to accompany short intervals between pregnancies, preterm delivery, low birth weight and admissions to the NICU, may not be because of the short interval, but may be due to other things, Dr. Reed said. That being said, its advisable to try to avoid pregnancy within six months of a live birth.
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Combination Birth Control Methods
Combination birth control methods include combination birth control pills, NuvaRing, and the patch. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there about these methods.
You may have heard it takes at least three months for ovulation to start up again after you stop the pill. This is not usually true. For most people, ovulation will start within weeks. For some, though, it can take one to three months.
Think about it like this: The pill works because it stops ovulation. If you miss a couple of pills, you might ovulate and you might get pregnant. Some healthcare providers even say you are most fertile just after you stop taking the pill.
So where does the three-month myth come from? Your healthcare provider may tell you to use a condom until you have had three periods. This is just because waiting will help you keep track of your cycle. That way, if you get pregnant, it will be easier to guess when the pregnancy happened.
There is no medical reason to wait after you stop birth control before trying to become pregnant. Just be prepared that your fertility may return within the first month.
NuvaRing and the Patch work the same way as the pill, so the same goes for these methods. Fertility should return quickly. Most research shows that 80% of people who stop using these methods and want to get pregnant will get pregnant within the first year. This number is the same as that of the general population.
How Can You Track Ovulation
Many women follow the textbook rule that ovulation occurs 14 days after the first day of their periodbut the reality is that cycle lengths vary, and ovulation doesn’t always occur at the same time each month, says Machelle Seibel, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Some women think they can detect ovulation symptoms. “If you’re in tune with your body, you may notice that you have an increased clear egg-white-like vaginal discharge a few days before ovulation,” says Yvonne Bohn, M.D., OB-GYN and co-author of The Mommy Docs Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. But many women miss this, and some mistakenly think their normal discharge is a sign of ovulation.
Instead of guessing, Dr. Seibel says that using an ovulation predictor kit can give a more accurate answer. Charting your basal body temperature or tracking your menstrual cycle can also help identify ovulation for the best days to get pregnant.
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When It May Be Safer To Wait To Conceive
Aside from emotional reasons, there are also a few physical circumstances in which it would make sense to put off trying to get pregnant again after a miscarriage. A few of these include:
- If you are on a medication that is risky during pregnancy, we may want to change your regimen or get you off that medication before you become pregnant again.
- If you are diabetic and the condition is poorly controlled, your risk of miscarriage is higher. We would want to work on improving your blood sugar levels so your body is in the optimal condition before you become pregnant.
- If you experienced high blood loss during the miscarriage, you may be anemic, and we would want your blood counts to return to normal.
Unfortunately, miscarriage is not uncommon. Ten percent of all clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. If you have a miscarriage, you may need time to heal emotionally. But when youre ready to try to conceive again, know that your body likely is, too.
Talk to your doctor about trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage. Request an appointment online or call .
How Long Should I Wait To Try And Get Pregnant Again
Do you have baby fever again? Youre still getting the hang of late-night feedings and swaddling, but you and your partner are anxious to add another to the crew. Oh, how quickly we forget about those 36 hours of hard labor.
If you want multiple children, you may wonder what the proper spacing should be and how soon you can safely start trying again. And for some older couples, the proverbial clock is ticking louder than ever to get started.
Pregnancy spacing is an important part of family planning, but there are some factors that youll need to consider before you give it a go. We spoke with Heather Reed, MD, an OBGYN at Banner University Medicine North in Tucson, AZ, on what you need to know so your next pregnancy is healthy and happy.
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What Happens During Week 3
The fertilized egg moves down your fallopian tube and divides into more and more cells. It reaches your uterus about 34 days after fertilization. The dividing cells then form a ball that floats around in the uterus for about 23 days.
Pregnancy begins when the ball of cells attaches to the lining of your uterus. This is called implantation. It usually starts about 6 days after fertilization and takes about 34 days to be complete.
Pregnancy doesnt always happen, even if an egg is fertilized by a sperm. Up to half of all fertilized eggs pass out of your body when you get your period, before implantation is complete.
How Do I Know What Week I Am Currently In My Pregnancy
Your doctor says you’re 15 weeks pregnant, but youre also being told that youre in week 16. Which is right? Short answer: both. In both cases, your due date is the same its the language referring to it thats different.
Turns out how many weeks into pregnancy you are is a little different than how many weeks pregnant you are. If youre in week 16, youre actually 15 weeks and some days pregnant. Fifteen full weeks have gone by, but not 16 weeks, so people say that you’re both 15 weeks pregnant and in week 16 of pregnancy.
To clear things up, think about birthdays. When you were born, you werent even a day old but you were in your first week of life. When you turned 1 year old, you had lived through your first year and were starting on your second. In other words, on your first birthday you were in day one of your second year. But no one said you were 2 years old until you’d finished that second year and had begun your third.
The same rules apply when talking about your weeks of pregnancy: You are x weeks pregnant, but in your x+1 week of pregnancy.
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Other Fertility Factors To Consider
As a rule of thumb, your fertility should go back to the way it was before you started birth control. If you had regular cycles before, you should have regular cycles again.
Your age may also play a part. That is because fertility drops as you get older. This is especially true once you turn 35.
There has been a lot of research on the return of fertility after stopping birth control. A review of studies showed that birth control use does not harm fertility. Pregnancy rates within one year of stopping birth control look like this:
- Birth control pill: 72% to 94%
- Condom/barrier method: 94%
- Progestin-only birth control: 70% to 95%
- Natural family planning: 92%
- IUD: 71% to 96%
Chances Of Getting Pregnant During Ovulation
Welcome to prime time for conception! No matter the length of menstruation, ovulation generally starts about 14 days before your next scheduled period. When it happens, your body temperature rises about a half a degree but bear in mind that this also takes place after you’re already ovulating, which could be too late for conception.
“That’s where ovulation test kits become so helpful,” Dr. Bayer explains. These kits detect a surge in luteinizing hormone that happens about 36 hours before you ovulate. After the test kit shows this surge, Dr. Bayer recommends having sex in the next 24 to 36 hours. Sperm can survive for some time in the reproductive tract, so it will be ready to meet the egg once it’s released during ovulation.
Another good indication of fertility is a change in the consistency of your cervical mucus. “You’ll see vaginal discharge that increases in amount and has the consistency of egg whites, signaling it’s the perfect time to have intercourse,” Dr. Bayer says. Test yours by sticking your index finger and thumb in your vagina to get a sample, then tapping your finger and thumb together. If the consistency is thin and spreads easily between two fingers, you’re good to go.
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How Soon Should I Get Pregnant Again After Miscarriage
May 10, 2016
Many emotions can accompany a miscarriage: grief, anger, fear about recurrence. It may take time to process those emotions before a woman feels ready to try to conceive again. However, some women want to know, How soon can we try for another baby?
Traditionally, physicians have advised waiting three months before trying to get pregnant after miscarriage. Some organizations, such as the World Health Organization, recommend waiting up to six months. But new research shows that for women who are healthy and ready to try again, there appears to be no physical reason to wait that long. And importantly, trying to become pregnant within three months of a miscarriage doesnt appear to increase the risk of subsequent pregnancy loss or complications.
Only a woman and her partner know how long they need to recover after a miscarriage. There is no right answer. When you are mentally ready to try to conceive again and your body has had time to recover, you shouldnt have to wait any longer
How Long Does Conception Take For The Average Couple
Think most people make a baby after a single romp? Think again! This study sheds some light on how many attempts it REALLY takes to conceive.
When we think about trying to conceive, we tend to consider whether it takes couples one cycle or many to get the job donechances are, we don’t really think about how many singular attempts most people make, though we probably assume many couples are scheduling more than one “baby dance” session per month.
Well, a recent study confirms that assumption. According to a survey from Channel Mum, couples are having a lot of sex before they finally get that positive pregnancy test. The Channel Mum team carried out a survey of 1,194 parentsand the couples surveyed had sex 78 times on average before conceiving.
Surprised by that number? Yeah, so were we.
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Some other key findings only add to the idea that when it comes to baby-making, most couples can’t rely on a one-and-done approach: Couples had sex about 13 times a month on average when trying to conceive, and half the couples surveyed reported having sex more often than usual while trying to conceive. Only about one-third of the female respondents said they loved stacking the odds with additional attempts, while about 18 percent of the women surveyed admitted to feeling like those additional attempts were a bit of a chore.
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Pregnancy Weeks Vs Months
Planning for a nine-month pregnancy can be confusing if you look at the total number of weeks in the average pregnancy. When you break down the numbers, it would seem that pregnancy lasts 10 months, not nine.
There are about forty weeks in a full-term pregnancy. If you assume that a month is exactly four weeks long, that makes 10 months of pregnancy. The problem with this calculation is that it assumes that each month lasts 28 days. But most of our calendar months last 30 or 31 days.
To confuse matters even more, there is also the issue of when you actually became pregnant. While an exact date may not matter to everyone, you can estimate the date based on testing. By the time you have a positive pregnancy test, you are usually about four weeks pregnant.
The truth is that a full-term pregnancy lasts between nine and 10 months. To establish clarity about your stage of pregnancy and estimated due date, your practitioner will track your pregnancy in weeks rather than months.
I Had A Termination In The Past Could It Affect My Ability To Get Pregnant Now
Professor Michael Thomas
Usually a pregnancy termination will not affect your ability to get pregnant in the future. On rare occasions, you may develop adhesions in the uterus that can cause issues with future fertility. If you are having normal monthly cycles, the chances of these adhesions affecting your fertility are low. Seeing your fertility specialist or gynecologist will be helpful in making sure your uterus has not been affected if you have been attempting pregnancy for one year, are under the age of 35 and have cycles between 23-35 days long. If you are over 35, consider a consultation after six months, and immediately if over 40.
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