Does "infertility age" exist? By now, if you are dealing with infertility, no doubt you will have heard that age can affect fertility for both male and female.
In order to increase fertility how could you overcome age? Well obviously you can't, but you can overcome infertility.
- Lifestyle - we have a different lifestyle to that of our fore mothers. Woman work a full day and are therefore exposed to heightened levels of stress.
- Diet - the daily intake of food, contains high levels of processed foods and preservatives and not enough fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Smoking - woman smoke cigarettes or other recreational substances.
- Alcohol - woman also drink alcohol in far higher quantities than our fore mothers.
- Environmental factors - living in a highly polluted environment.
- Medical conditions - there are many physical conditions affecting fertility.
- Unfounded fear - fear of not falling pregnant due to age, and complications in pregnancy - causing heightened levels of stress, affecting menstral cycles, and thus the ability to ovulate.
These are some of the factors contributing to infertility age, and the resultant decrease in conception in older women.
The good, the bad and the truth!
According to infertility statistics, the older you get the longer it takes to conceive. Age can therefore be an important consideration, when your physician is doing your primary fertility test. Infertility in men and age, is not a major consideration, in your fertility status.
Infertility age is synonymous to women. That's the bad news. Of course the older you are when trying to conceive, the less time you have. This in itself adds a tremendous strain on the female. Hearing the tick tock of the bio clock, definitely adds extra pressure into an already sensitive subject.
While it is a consideration, as sperm count does diminish with age, men are fortunate enough to be able to father children into their late years, as old as seventy or even eighty years of age.
Setting aside infertility statistics, what is the conceiving age for a female?
The good news is that, from the time of your first menstrual cycle, young girls have the ability to conceive. Therefore it stands to reason that woman should be able to conceive well into their late forties and early fifties, if menstruation and ovulation continues.
Menstruation itself does not indicate ovulation has occurred, therefore if a woman over 35 has not conceived, within six months of trying, it is nearly always better to consult with a physician to determine if this event is taking place. An ovulation test may be necessary.
Why then does a woman's age affect infertility?
The truth of the matter
- Fertility varies from person to person
- A woman's entire stock of eggs (ova) are formed in her two ovaries before her birth.
- Many of the eggs die even before puberty, but there is approximately 500 000 available for her future conception cycles.
- Each month an egg is released, until the onset of menopause.
- Female and male fertility reaches its peak between the age of 24 to 26.
- For couples having intercourse regularly, without contraceptives, as much as 60% of women will conceive in the first six months and 80% in the first year.
- After ovulation, an egg can only be fertilised for about 12 to 24 hours.
- Long menstral cycles - cycles are expected to be 28 days, with ovulation taking place round about day 14. This may be incorrect if a woman's menstral cycle is 36 days or longer.
For a woman older than 35, time cannot be wasted. Changing your lifestyle and diet is an important step, as mentioned in infertility diet and alkaline diet page. Additionally, seeking medical assistance should be done as early as possible.
There are tests that can gauge how many eggs are still waiting to be deployed for duty. The best ones are an ultrasound to assess the number of follicles in your ovaries and a blood test to check your hormone levels. Fortunately modern science has many remedies to increase fertility in women (and men).
Age is a consideration, but should not be seen as a cause of infertility.
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