Learning about age and fertility can help you achieve your family-building goals
The numbers don’t lie. CDC data shows more women are waiting to have children. Between 2016 and 2023 alone, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found the average age of mothers giving birth increased from 28.7 to 29.6. That’s almost a year’s increase in less than a decade.
Clearly, you’re not alone if you want to wait to have a baby. However, the link between age and fertility can make it harder to conceive later in life.
The Fertility Center of Las Vegas (FCLV) does have good news, though. Understanding the female fertility timeline can help you better plan for your family-building goals.
Understanding the basics of age and fertility in women
While men make new sperm every day, women cannot make new eggs. Women have all the eggs they will ever have at birth.
By the time a woman reaches puberty, she has about 300,000 egg-containing follicles. However, a woman will only release a few eggs (about 300) from these follicles during her lifetime.
What happens to a woman’s unused eggs? They break down, and the body reabsorbs them. This process is called atresia, and sadly, there is no way to stop it.
Taking a closer look at female fertility by age
With these facts about age and fertility in mind, let’s look at the female fertility timeline. Our Las Vegas fertility specialists follow these guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
- Conceiving in your 20s – Your 20s are your best reproductive years. The average 20-something woman with no fertility issues has a 33% chance of conceiving every month.
- Conceiving in your 30s – Fertility slowly declines in your 30s, especially after age 35. A 30-year-old without fertility issues has about a 20% chance of conceiving each month.
- Conceiving in your 40s and beyond – By age 40, the likelihood of conceiving each month drops to less than 5%. The number drops even more as you get closer to menopause (around age 51).
Unfortunately, you cannot extend your natural childbearing years through diet, exercise or living a healthy lifestyle. However, fertility treatments may be able to help you have a baby later in life.
Explore your family-building options at FCLV
If you are trying to conceive in your late 30s or your 40s, know that there is often still hope. Our Las Vegas fertility specialists can recommend different treatments that may help.
Our team would love to help you on your path to parenthood. Contact us to learn how we can help you get started today.
