According to theCenters for Disease Control(CDC), the average age of women at childbirth is increasing.
Fertility decreases as you age
I spoke withDr.
Erika Munch, a fertility specialistat the Texas Fertility Center and she laid it out for me.
Between 30-35 that chance is 15-20 percent.
Why does fertility decrease so much for women as they age?
It has a lot to do with the number and quality of eggs she has available.
Munch went on to explain that every woman has a finite number of eggs at birth.
“As we age, the number of eggs we have decreases.
Unfortunately, so does the quality,” Dr.
This is why it gets harder to have a healthy pregnancy and avoid miscarriage as we get older."
Women’s health specialist and president of Sapphire Women’s Health GroupDr.
In fact, she said, sperm counts for men overall have been dropping.
“The risk of hypertensive diseases and diabetes increases in women with advanced maternal age.
Therefore, they need to be evaluated prior to conceiving and monitored closely during their pregnancy.”
“So, certainly, there can be major emotional and psychological consequences if we wait to conceive.
On the other hand, women are often times are more psychologically prepared for motherhood as they age.”
“This, in turn, causes stress.
Some researchers have argued that stress can impact fertility as well.”
Blasi suggested that women should get three blood tests before they start trying to conceive at any age.
“The first is to determine if she has a blood clotting disorder,” Blasi said.
“At 35 years old, approximately 35 percent of our eggs are abnormal,” Dr. Rosenbluth said.
This is why doctors often advise women over 35 to get genetic testing andDr.
When Overton was 35 and single she found out she had fibroid tumors.
After first trying IUI unsuccessfully, she tried a round of IVF.
It was during this expensive procedure that she found out she did not have many healthy eggs.
It was then she considered surrogacy.
“I even had people around me asking if I should give up,” Overton said.
“I said ‘This is a personal decision and I’m not quite done yet.'”
Her cousin called her daughter who was excited to help.
“She called me excited about it, it was very surreal,” Overton told me.
“It made me think, ‘Okay, this could happen.
I have a chance.'”
Overton was 45 when her second child was born via surrogacy.
If you want a child, there’s a way to do it.
Don’t get discouraged," she told me.
I’m a mom, and that’s what matters."
Overton found support in a group calledSingle Mothers by Choiceand in her close friends who understood her journey.
