There are a lot of factors you need to consider when thinking of having a baby. One of the most important of them is age. The effect of age on fertility as well as pregnancy is closely related.
Women who postpone childbearing can find it more difficult to have babies later in the future. Thus, understanding how age and pregnancy are linked is a critical step in your journey toward building your own family.
We understand that age plays a big part in the ability to have babies, but it’s not the only important factor. You may face other unexplained infertility which would require customizing the general fertility treatment suited to your need.
In this blog, we are going to look at when women all around are becoming mothers while discussing the changes to expect as you get older if you would like to have a baby.
A Global Comparison: The Mean Age of First-Time Mothers
In the United States, the average age for a woman to give birth to her first baby is 26 years. However, women living in big cities such as Los Angeles and New York tend to be older before starting a family. On the other hand, women who reside in rural areas tend to begin their families at a younger age, with many of them becoming mothers in their early 20s.
The factors that seem to influence when a woman chooses to have a baby include education, career, and socioeconomic status. Usually, women who belong to higher socioeconomic classes go to graduate school and have a great career before marrying. Women in countries with plenty of opportunities tend to wait longer to have children. This is shown in the mean ages of first-time moms around the world. In Japan, Ireland, and Portugal, the average age is 30 years, whereas women in South Korea often wait until they clock 31. In many of these countries, a lot of women choose fertility preservation treatments (such as embryo freezing and egg freezing) to start a family in the future.
Women from poor communities have fewer career and educational opportunities. Thus, many of these women often find fulfillment in getting married and having their first baby during adulthood. Some of the world’s youngest mothers are from impoverished African countries like Uganda, Chad, Niger, and Mozambique, where the mean age of first-time mothers is between 17 and 18 years.
What is the “best” age to have baby?
Actually, there is no “perfect time” to become pregnant. A lot of considerations go into the decision to have a baby. Even though age is a key factor in fertility, it’s not the only important factor to consider. You should only try to have kids when you feel that you’re financially, emotionally, and mentally ready to do so.
That said, women are most fertile in their twenties. Between the ages of 20 and 29, women have the highest number of healthy eggs and the lowest risk of having pregnancy complications. At age 25, your chances of becoming pregnant after 3 months of trying are below 20%. This number reduces every single year.
Does pregnancy become more difficult as you age? When is fertility treatment necessary for older age parents?
Although it’s possible to wait to have children in your thirties or forties, advanced age makes pregnancy more difficult to achieve. Women come to the world with all the eggs they’re ever going to have – about one million. The ability to become pregnant and have a baby tends to reduce with age. This is due to the fact that as you grow older, the quantity and quality of the eggs you have left, decreases. Having said that, it is possible to maintain egg health with care for increased chances of pregnancy.
Postponing childbearing until older ages can increase the risk of pregnancy complications and may lead to infertility. For instance:
- Health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes
- Pregnancy conditions like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes
- Preterm birth
- Low birth weight
- Miscarriage
- Cesarean section delivery
In some cases, you may require fertility treatments to overcome the underlying causes of these conditions. At our fertility clinic, we advise having a consultation with an infertility specialist first to understand the best treatment plan. However, remember that just because you are over 30 or 40 years of age doesn’t mean you cannot get pregnant and have a healthy baby.
Conclusion
No matter the age you decide to have children, this decision comes with both joy and challenges.
If you have experienced difficulties on your journey to parenthood due to infertility issues, we can help. Our team is dedicated to helping women – regardless of their age – overcome the obstacles hindering them from having their own children. Schedule a consultation today to know how we can help you grow your own family. You can also explore our website to have a chat with our team.
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