{"id":102993,"date":"2022-04-22T12:33:12","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T10:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/?p=102993"},"modified":"2023-05-12T13:47:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T11:47:55","slug":"how-does-female-fertility-change-with-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ivi.uk\/blog\/how-does-female-fertility-change-with-age\/","title":{"rendered":"How does female fertility change with age?"},"content":{"rendered":"
You may already know that for both men and women, <\/span><\/span>fertility changes with age<\/span><\/span> – but do you understand how? <\/span>In this article, we delve closer into female fertility specifically and how this changes with age, how age affects the chances of conceiving naturally, and some of the numbers you need to be aware of if you plan to have children in the future.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n From a medical perspective, getting pregnant – both naturally and through assisted conception – can be a numbers game. <\/span>Women are born with a finite number of eggs, which gradually decreases naturally over time until the menopause is reached. <\/span>The menopause normally coincides with your early 50s – however estimates show that by the age of 40, just 3% of egg reserve remains.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to the aging process and female fertility, it’s important to understand two key points. <\/span>The first is that <\/span><\/span>changes to fertility levels are inevitable and a natural part of aging<\/span><\/span>. <\/span>They can’t be slowed down or prevented, no matter how much you exercise, take vitamins or try holistic therapies. <\/span>However, some habits, such as smoking, can speed up the decline and put your fertility at unnecessary risk. <\/span>The second is that <\/span><\/span>each woman’s optimal window of fertility is unique <\/span><\/span>and can vary depending on a wide range of factors. For some, fertility can begin to decline sooner than is commonly believed. <\/span>Sometimes, as early as their 20s. <\/span>Many women wait until their mid-30s before trying to conceive as this is when they believe they will start to experience a decline in fertility. And although many conceive without any problems, for some this decline could have begun to decline nearly a decade earlier. <\/span>If you don’t wish to have a child right now but plan to start a family later in life, it can be beneficial to arrange a fertility assessment to inform your family-planning decisions. <\/span>Fertility assessments are widely available, both at IVI and many other licensed fertility clinics.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n While at the age of 25, your odds of conceiving within three months of trying are high, this doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right time to have a baby. <\/span>In the UK, the average age of a first time mum stands at 30.7 years old. <\/span>This figure has continued to climb gradually since 1974, when the average age was 26.4 years old. <\/span>There are many factors which we could argue have contributed to this change. <\/span>However, perhaps the most important thing it tells us is that <\/span><\/span>the right time to have a baby is when you feel you’re <\/span><\/span>ready:<\/span><\/span> whether that’s when you feel emotionally and financially stable, when your career is established, or when you meet the right partner.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In recent years, we’ve seen a trend in the UK showing that the number of women giving birth over the age of 40 to be consistently higher than the number who have a baby before the age of 20<\/a>. <\/span>For those over 40, there may be a number of reasons for this jump – the growth in fertility treatments being one such factor. <\/span>IVF has come on in enormous leaps and bounds in the past few decades. <\/span>In fact, the latest data shows us that <\/span><\/span>the number of babies born through IVF has tripled since 1991<\/span><\/span> – and IVF birth rates continues to rise.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n While the changes to fertility levels are well documented for those women trying to conceive naturally, less is widely known about the impact of age on your chances of successful fertility treatment. <\/span>For women, age impacts both the quantity and the quality<\/em> of eggs, which we will explain in more detail shortly. <\/span>This means if you intend to use your own eggs in a fertility treatment, you may have a reduced chance of success depending on your age when you embark on treatment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the UK’s regulator of fertility clinics. <\/span>Each year, every licensed clinic is required to report its clinical activity to the HFEA, including success rates. <\/span>By accumulating this data, the HFEA can break down the national success rate for IVF<\/a> across the age ranges as follows:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhen it comes to fertility, why does age matter?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Does age affect fertility treatment outcomes too?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n