Best age to conceive

Ever since I halted “production” more than five years ago, I’ve enjoyed a fairly stress-free life. My sleep at night is no longer dictated by feeding times, and I can now manoeuvre shopping malls without having a human extension on my left hip. My older girls are also at the stage where they can fend for themselves and for the youngest one. So, life is good.

But, suffice to say, the idyll had to end. Because now, I’m being ambushed with a barrage of requests for a little addition to the family — by my children. They just adore babies. And then, there was the “isn’t the gap long enough for another one?” asked a well meaning relative at a recent family gathering. And guess what? The seed (no pun intended) is finally planted in my crazy mind to actually contemplate the possibility.

But I’m fearful of the age factor. I’m definitely no spring chicken, yet, I’m also not on the verge of collecting my pension. Will I actually be able to conceive? Will the baby come out OK? Will I have the energy to start all over again? And most selfishly, will my treasured idyll end? Questions, questions.

At a recent session organised by specialist skincare product Bio-Oil, to educate and increase awareness on pre-natal care during pregnancy, Dr Premitha Damodaran, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, reassures me that because of our changing lifestyle, more and more women are getting pregnant in their 30s. And there’s no safe cut-off point because there can be problems at any age.

“If you’re looking at egg and reproduction, in terms of how much easier it is to get pregnant, I believe the latest figures are 37, and below,” begins the attractive mother-of-one, who became a mum at the age of 37. “But that’s just an average. That’s looking at the biological age of the egg.

But if you’re looking at problems with babies, then the risk is there at every age, which increases. At the age of 35, the risk of Down Syndrome is about 1 in 300, at the age of 40, it’s 1 in 100.”

Certainly, there have been plenty of discussions and articles written about what constitutes the best age for getting pregnant. After all, it does play an important role.

Whether you’re fit for your age, and whether or not you look like your age, your body knows exactly how old you are. As does your reproductive system.

According to statistics, the optimum age for fertility for women begins at 18. Women will be at their most fertile and are most likely to get pregnant until about the age of 25.

The decline starts to kick in beginning around 25, or 26. But it’s a gradual one and it will go on for the next 10 years. It’s not until the age of 35, that the process of losing fertility begins to speed up more rapidly. By the time a woman reaches 40, she’s more likely to have problems getting pregnant. In fact, around 2/3 of women over the age of 40, will have some sort of fertility issues.

Many people I know consider the 30s to be the happy medium for motherhood. Most of them are already quite secure in their careers and relationships, which make for a firmer foundation for the growing family. New mums in their 30s still have a lot of stamina and resilience, qualities that come in handy for parenting young children. While everyone develops differently, women at this age are likely to know themselves better than women in their 20s do and are less likely to be as set in their ways as women in their 40s, says San Francisco psychotherapist Leah Seidler.

However, fertility experts caution women in their 30s not to wait too long, particularly if they want more than one child. “There’s a tremendous difference between your ability to get pregnant in your early 20s versus your late 30s,” says Dr Premitha. “As the decade progresses, a woman’s fertility does go into free fall.”

Most experts agree that 35, is the “age of reckoning” for women when it comes to having children. Decline in fertility begins to accelerate, and Down Syndrome and other genetic abnormalities become a greater concern.

This is why at this stage experts routinely recommend amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, or other detailed foetal screening during pregnancy from the mid-30s.

The risk of miscarriage as well as pregnancy-related complications rises as women aged. According to studies, a woman over 35, is also likely to have an ectopic pregnancy compared to her younger counterpart. Suffice to say, every woman ages at her own pace, but experts say that at 35, a woman needs to get serious if she wants to have children, especially if she’s keen to have more than one.

“At age 35 or 36, many women need only minor, if any, medical intervention to get pregnant. By the time they’re ready for their next child, say at 39, those same medications are less likely to work,” says fertility specialist James Goldfarb, director of Infertility Services and IVF at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.

Women have about 15 per cent chance of getting pregnant in any single ovulation by the time they hit their 30s, says author and leading fertility specialist Sherman Silber, director of the Infertility Centre of St Louis at St Luke’s Hospital in Missouri. According to Silber, your chances of conceiving within a year of starting to try are about 75 per cent. But since fertility wanes as the decade progresses, in your late 30s your chance of getting pregnant within a year drops to 65 per cent.

It’s also reported that around the ages of 35 to 39, women are most likely to have twins — even without the fertility treatments that raise the odds for multiple births. One egg is normally released for every cycle but as we age, our Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) level increases. When this hormonal surge occurs, there’s a chance that more than one egg could be released during a cycle, raising the odds of a multiple birth. So, while older women are statistically less likely to get pregnant, if they do, chances are they’re likely to have twins.

Safe pregnancy

How does one have a safe pregnancy, I ask Dr Premitha. “You can only do your best,” she replies. “Look after your lifestyle, eat right, do all the necessary blood tests, and exercise throughout pregnancy (but seek your doctor’s advice, first). You have almost complete control of your pregnancy, barring any unforeseen illnesses or physical problems.”

Pregnancy tips

1. Stop smoking. It’s bad for the baby’s health, even secondary smoke. Also bad for your own health!
2. Stop drinking. No level of alcohol during pregnancy has been proven safe, so try and stay off the alcohol throughout pregnancy and while nursing.
3. Exercise has been shown to help reduce the time you spend in labour, aid recovery following birth, reduce the need for caesarean, help you return to pre-pregnancy weight quicker and improve overall health.
4. Change eating habits. Eat foods that are high in fibre, consume lots of vegetables, and include foods rich in iron, calcium, protein, and folate in your daily diet. Don’t skip meals or try to diet.
5. Limit caffeine intake. Take tea, coffee, chocolate and soft drinks in moderation. It’s better to drink water.

Source: Intan Maizura Ahmad Kamal
intanm@nstp.com.my