Myth: There’s enough time to keep trying for pregnancy until the age of 40.
Fact: Fertility is strongly influenced by age. Women are born with a fixed number of eggs, and both the quantity and quality of these eggs decline over time.
- After the age of 35, the decline becomes faster, making natural conception more challenging.
- By the age of 40, a healthy woman’s chance of conceiving in a given month drops to about 5%.
- Age also affects the success rates of fertility treatments such as IVF or IUI, as the chances of producing healthy embryos decrease.
- In addition, the risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities rises with maternal age, making conception and a healthy pregnancy more difficult.
Takeaway: While it’s still possible to conceive later in life, early awareness and timely medical guidance can greatly improve the chances of a successful pregnancy.