Impact of a Woman's Age on Pregnancy

Does age affect fertility? Simply put, yes, the age does affect fertility. The older the female is when trying to conceive the more troubles that may be encountered during the process of conception and implantation of the fertilized egg.

Why Does Age Matter?
When a woman is born, she already has the exact number of eggs in her ovaries she will release over the course of her life. The eggs begin to age from the first days of life and begin releasing at the time of the first menstrual cycle. As time moves forward, the eggs age with the woman and often lose the prime ability to fertilize and implant properly.

The implantation process involves less of the fertilization aspect of conception and more of the uterine age. The endometrial lining deteriorates as the female ages and thus tends to work less effectively as the woman gets older. The endometrial lining is the place where the fertilized egg will implant and if the lining does not attach the fertilized egg firmly, the implantation may not be a success and thus a miscarriage may occur.

Chromosome Problems and Age
Another consideration when trying to conceive in the later years of life are chromosome abnormalities. The older female is more apt to conceive a child with a chromosome problem than a younger woman.

Ovulation Issues
As the hormone levels change with age, ovulation may become sporadic. Ovulation is the time of the month when the female ovaries release the egg ready for fertilization. If ovulation becomes sporadic, the female may have trouble conceiving.

The Perfect Age for Conception
The female body was created to conceive children early in life. From the beginning of time, women were married at the age of 14 or younger. The first menstrual period was the signal that she was ready to start a family and carry on the human race. As time passed, societal changes redefined the appropriate age for mothers but the female body did not change.

From the age of 20, fertility begins to decline. Once a women reaches the age of 35, issues with hormonal changes, the age of stored eggs and the efficacy of the endometrial lining will all play a part in the ability to conceive and carry a child.

Health Issues and Fertility
Another huge factor linking the age of the female to fertility problems are health issues and illness. The older the female, the more apt she is to suffer from age related conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These condition can all play a huge part in the conception and implantation of a fertilized egg.

While the older woman has the ability to conceive, age related issues may present themselves making it harder for the aging female to become a mother than her younger counterpart. With the advent of fertility drugs and infertility treatments, women are giving birth to children well into their 40’s. Just because the female body is aging does not mean there is no chance of starting a family later in life.