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Getting pregnant in your 30s and later: what to expect

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For many women who are increasingly choosing to focus on their careers in their 20s, this means postponing getting pregnant to their 30s and later years. In this article, we share some of the risks and dangers of getting pregnant later on in life, and what you can do to mitigate these risks.

The pros of getting pregnant in your 30s and later

There’s a silver lining to having a child later on in life – namely, the advantage that you get from being more financially stable, and emotionally ready. Apart from women in their 30s having higher incomes, they are also more likely to have job flexibility, as well as the ability to negotiate for remote work, flexible working hours and/or other benefits.

How likely are you to get pregnant in your 30s?

getting pregnant 30s

According to James Goldfarb, director of infertility services and IVF at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, despite there being an obvious drop-off in fertility between the ages of 29 and 35, the majority of 35 year olds still do not encounter any major problems.

He goes on to say that women in their early 30s have a 75% chance of conceiving within a year (given that they track their cycles and actively try to get pregnant), and that this falls to 65% for women in their late 30s.

Do older women have a higher risk of miscarriages?

While the risk of miscarriages rises slowly when a women is in her early 30s, it increases rapidly during her mid to late 30s. More specifically, women who are 35 years old have an 18% risk of having a miscarriage; women in their early 40s, on the other hand, have a substantially increased 34% risk of having a miscarriage.

Are older women at a higher risk of having babies with genetic problems?

getting pregnant 30s

Statistically speaking, women in their 30s are at higher risk of having babies with Down syndrome and other genetic problems. To err on the side of caution, experts recommend that women who are trying to get pregnant in their 30s undergo fetal DNA blood testing, which will help to detect Down syndrome and chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses.

Is there anything I can do if I’m not ready to have a child?

For women who aren’t ready to have a child, but would like to increase their chances of getting pregnant in the future, Human Oocyte Cryopreservation or egg-freezing is always an option. Whilst using younger eggs won’t completely halt the effect of age on your chances of a healthy pregnancy, this will give you a higher rate of success with assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization.

Do note that it’s not legal to do egg freezing for non-medical reasons in Singapore – however, it’s possible to head overseas to Malaysia, Thailand and Australia to do so.

Looking for a holistic and thorough approach in your journey to getting pregnant? Contact us to speak with Be Natural’s experienced fertility coach who can recommend natural treatments customized to you, and guide you on the path to conceiving naturally.

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