There are a lot of unknowns about reproduction, but the connection between age and fertility isn’t one of them.
Age has a major impact on a woman’s reproductive health, with many women experiencing decreased chances of natural conception and increased chances of pregnancy complications starting in their mid-to-late 30s. In an era where many women are delaying parenthood, it’s important to understand the how, why, and when behind age-related infertility issues.
So when do women become infertile? Below, we’re tackling some important questions related to how age affects fertility, including when a woman’s fertility starts to decline and – just as important – what can be done about it.
How Age Affects Fertility
Women are at peak reproductive health in their late teens and 20s, when eggs tend to be of the highest quality and quantity. As she ages, though, she will have fewer and fewer high-quality eggs, leading to lower rates of conception and a higher risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities. This goes on until menopause, when a woman can no longer conceive.
There are other factors at play, too. This includes hormonal changes and a decline in sexual activity, both of which are associated with advanced age. It doesn’t mean that getting pregnant in your 30s or 40s is impossible (far from it!); however, it might take longer or require assistance from a fertility specialist.
When Do Women Become Infertile?
For women, reproductive health starts to gradually decrease around 32, with a rapid decrease around 37, according to research compiled by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). While about 25% of healthy women in their 20s and early 30s will get pregnant in any single menstrual cycle, that rate drops to just 10% by age 40. And by age 45, many women are no longer able to get pregnant naturally.
The reason there is such a hard stop on female fertility has to do with perimenopause, which generally begins around 45 or earlier. This period is associated with declining estrogen levels, culminating 8-10 years later in menopause and the cessation of a woman’s menstrual cycle.
While a woman can get pregnant when she’s in perimenopause, irregular cycles, changing hormones, and, for many, decreased sexual desire make it more difficult to do so. Individual fertility rates can also vary based on a woman’s genetics, lifestyle, and any co-occurring medical conditions she might have.
Fertility Preservation and Treatment Options
You can’t fight the clock, but there are certainly things you can do to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy in your mid-30s and beyond.
- Preservation: Egg freezing and embryo freezing allow you to make the most of a healthy ovarian reserve, letting you retrieve and store eggs or fertilized embryos when you’re young for potential use later on.
- Assisted Reproduction: In-vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or the use of donor eggs can help older women bypass reproductive limitations and conceive at a later age. IVF, for example, leads to a live birth in 22.1% of women aged 38-40 and 12.4% in women aged 41-42, while fresh transfers of donor eggs from young, healthy women result in live births 51% of the time, regardless of age.
- Nutritional Supplementation: Reproductive health supplements, particularly those high in DHEA and CoQ10, can support reproductive health in older women when taken regularly alongside a healthy diet. There are also supplements designed just for women aged 35 and older that are targeted to the nutritional challenges at this stage, such as Ovaterra Advanced Preconception Vitamins with bioavailable doses of Folate, Choline, and DHEA.
Women who are trying to get pregnant later in life also benefit from lifestyle considerations like avoiding smoking and alcohol, getting plenty of exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Support for Fertility at Any Age
If you’re a woman in her 30s and 40s who is struggling to get pregnant, it helps to know the unique obstacles you’re up against. A decreasing ovarian reserve, an influx of hormonal changes, and perimenopause around the corner are real concerns with real implications for conceiving and should be top of mind as you figure out what comes next.
For many, supplements and lifestyle changes are key to supporting reproductive health in later years. Be proactive with your planning, making sure your body gets what it needs and seeking the support of specialists if you’re worried about a lack of progress. If you want to know more, head to our resource library for more information on age and fertility, or visit the MyOvaterra homepage to explore reproductive health supplements for women of advanced age.
