The most fertile years – TTC in your 20s
Young women in their 20s are typically thought to be at peak fertility, so if you’re between the ages of 20 and 29 and want to start a family, it’s a great time to start trying to conceive (TTC). If you’re TTC in your 20s, chances are good that you won’t have any fertility issues. However, our Las Vegas fertility center recommends arming yourself with as much information as possible before you get started, so you’ll know what to expect when you hope to soon be expecting.
Female babies come into the world with a lifetime supply of eggs already in their ovaries. By the time women reach their 20s, most women have hundreds of thousands of eggs ready for starting a family. If your menstrual cycles are regular and your partner has enough healthy sperm, chances are good that you can conceive on your own within a few months.
If you’re healthy and fertile when you’re TTC in your 20s, your odds of conceiving are about 33% for each cycle, if you have sex a day or two before you ovulate. With a lower risk of complications such as diabetes or high blood pressure than women in their 30s and beyond, you’re more likely to experience an easy pregnancy.
You’re also more likely to carry your baby to full term. For women in their 20s, the risk of miscarriage is very low at about 10%.
Women younger than 30 are more likely to have a baby who is healthy. The rate of clinically significant genetic abnormalities in babies is only about one in 500. You also have youth and health on your side during those long, sleepless nights while your newborn adjusts to life outside the womb.
Infertility and TTC in your 20s
While infertility is less common in younger women, some women in their 20s are surprised to learn that conceiving isn’t as easy as expected. Here are some common causes of infertility in younger women who visit our Las Vegas fertility center.
- Blocked Fallopian tubes
- Uterine or other structural abnormalities
- Irregular menstrual cycles or ovulation problems
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Male factor infertility (not enough sperm or sperm that are unable to fertilize an egg)
- Unexplained infertility
As you move closer to menopause, your egg supply will naturally decline in both quantity and quality. This may make it harder for you to become pregnant and stay pregnant as you grow older. Keep in mind that the average American woman has her first baby at age 26.
If you’ve been TTC in your 20s and you have been TTC for one year without success, it’s time to see an infertility specialist at our Las Vegas fertility center to find out what’s going on. The first step is a thorough analysis of both partners’ medical histories, as well as both male and female fertility testing to help identify the cause of your inability to conceive.
Fertility treatment for younger couples
If a fertility issue is found in either you, your partner or both of you, try not to worry. Infertility affects about 6.1 million people in the United States. Thankfully, there are many highly effective fertility treatments that can help you achieve your family-building goals.
- Medication to regulate your cycles and prompt ovulation.
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI), in which sperm are inserted into your uterus through a thin catheter.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF), in which your eggs are retrieved and fertilized in a laboratory, creating embryos that can be transferred to your uterus.
- IVF with donor eggs or sperm, for hopeful parents who are unable to produce enough high-quality eggs or sperm to achieve fertilization through IVF.
- Egg freezing, for women who want to preserve their peak fertility and delay motherhood.
Cost-effective care
Depending on your diagnoses, both individually and as a couple, your fertility specialist will recommend the treatment that is most likely to give you a baby, at the lowest possible cost.
To learn more about TTC in your 20s, contact us to schedule a consultation with a leading reproductive endocrinologist at our Las Vegas fertility center.