Age factor

It's a fact of nature. There's no way around it. Age affects your ability to conceive - for both men and women.

Age does affect a woman's fertility

Age is not an absolute barrier to conception, but as a woman gets older it does become more difficult for her to conceive. The truth is that a woman's fertility naturally starts to decline in her late 20s. By age 35, a woman's fertility is reduced by nearly half. The reason is straightforward. A woman is born with all the eggs she'll have. And with time, the supply diminishes. The remaining eggs also age along with the rest of the body.

Maternal age and fertility

There are other age factors. A woman's hormone levels change with age and can, in some cases, cause irregular ovulation. This is all normal. If you're older, especially over the age of 40, it may not be easy to conceive.

Finally, some studies suggest that miscarriage rates increase with increasing age. Both maternal and paternal age can play a role.

But that doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you - or that you shouldn't try. There are ways to manage this drop in the ability to conceive as you age. At the age 33, you may feel like there is still plenty of time to try and get pregnant. What you also need to factor into the equation is the amount of time it takes just to get a referral to a fertility specialist. The testing and diagnostic processes can take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years just to find out any fertility issues you may have. And before you know it, you could be 35+ and still attempting to conceive. So don't wait too long to begin planning your pregnancy. If you have concerns or questions about your ability to conceive you should consider talking to your doctor or a reproductive specialist.

Age affects men too...

Age affects male fertility as well. As a man gets older, his testosterone level naturally declines and, in turn, his sexual drive may wane. The quality of a man's sperm also drops as he gets older. Despite this, he will continue to produce sperm no matter what his age is.

Reference: Fertility LifeLines™