Nearly 40% Of Women Above 35 Would Have Tried To Get Pregnant Sooner If They Knew About The Age-Related Decline In Fertility, Per Study

The United States isn't even achieving birth replacement rate at the moment, and the rates of birth have been on the decline over the last several decades. Many speculate that fertility issues are contributing to this, but a recent survey showed that many women don't fully understand how much their age is related to their chance at conceiving. A 2019 American Osteopathic Association survey found that only 28% of women and 35% of men believe that age is the number one factor in female infertility.

Nearly 40% of Women Above 35 Would've Tried To Get Pregnant Sooner If They Knew About the Age-Related Decline in Fertility

Science has shown us that egg quality starts to decline around 32 and decreases rapidly around 37 years of age. The general consensus is that the most fertile years a woman has are between her late teens and late 20s. This doesn't mean that it's impossible to get pregnant in your 30s, but nobody can deny that your chances are slimmer. Unfortunately, most women don't fully understand this fact, and according to the AOA 2019 survey, 39% of women over the age of 35 who didn't have kids at a younger age would have tried to get pregnant sooner if they knew more about how much your age affects your fertility.

“Conversations about family planning should shift from birth control to pregnancy planning around age 32,” says Ellen Wood, DO, a fertility specialist. “35 is not the new 25 when it comes to fertility.”

A healthy lifestyle and nutrient-dense diet can certainly help retain the quality of your eggs and prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy, but that doesn't mean your fertility rates won't decline at all with age. It's estimated that one in every five women between ages 15 and 49 is struggling with infertility. And one in every four of these same women struggle to carry a pregnancy to term. Men should also be concerned about the quality of their sperm as they age. They can have children until a much later age than women can, but there are still many ways for them to eat and live well that will help them maintain their sperm count as long as possible.

The total number of IVF (in-vitro fertilization) has increased 153x over the past 33 years, and in 2018, 2% of all births were from IVF. Women are finding options to help them give birth at a later age, but experts still maintain that it is much easier (and less risky) for you to have children in your 20s. Sadly, our culture encourages women to stay single and be childless for as long as possible (if not forever) because becoming a mother supposedly ruins your life and robs you of your independence. Of course, you have to make sacrifices, and you won't be able to do whatever you want when you have small children, but many women don't understand that these years are temporary. Your children are not babies or toddlers forever, and you can still enjoy the things you love and even work in a career you're passionate about when they get older.

Celebrities like Chelsea Handler and Oprah have bragged for years about how they live their best lives without children. Combining the cultural influence with the miseducation about women's fertility and how it is intricately tied to age has been detrimental to women. Many are waking up in their mid-30s, realizing that it's going to be a difficult road to suddenly get married and have children. Not every single woman on the planet needs to become a mother, but we have to admit that our natural state is to nurture, which usually involves having children. Postponing pregnancy until your mid to late 30s can result in difficulty conceiving and a higher risk of potential health complications as well. Women deserve to know the truth about their body and their fertility.