Female fertility is centered on regular and predictable ovulation. Many infertility issues for women stem from challenges surrounding the release of a healthy, mature egg for fertilization. However, female fertility has a lot of particulars, and when it comes to getting pregnant, women should be well-versed in them all.
To that end, let’s explore some of the basics every woman needs to know about her fertility:
Your egg supply has a definite end, and it’s sooner than most women think.
Many couples today don’t realize that 90 percent of a woman’s eggs have expired by the time she is 30. Women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have, and there are a lot of them. However, they start expiring immediately. When a woman starts her menstrual cycle, she still has plenty, and by age 25, she is at her peak fertility. Fertility begins to decline at 27 and then drops off steeply at age 37. By 40, a woman’s fertility is nearly over in most cases. Many women get pregnant in their 40s, but typically in their early 40s. Save for the friend of an aunt of your best friend’s cousin who got pregnant naturally at 47, most women have a hard time conceiving naturally by age 43. There is an end to your fertility, and it’s sooner than you think.
You are fertile for about one week every month.
You have been taught that you can get pregnant any day of your cycle, typically in high school to help prevent unwanted pregnancies. But it’s not true. You can only get pregnant around the time of ovulation, up to five days before and in the 24 hours after the egg’s release from the ovary. That means it is critical to know when you ovulate each month so you can time your sex to correspond to the fertile week. There are a number of ways to track your ovulation, but most experts agree that ovulation kits are a good way to hone in on the right week to make a baby.
Being healthy and having a regular period is not a guarantee of fertility.
Many women think if they are in good health, are at a healthy weight and have a period they can set their watch by, they will not have fertility problems. Unfortunately, this is not the case. While all of these factors are significant indicators that fertility health is in line, there can still be female infertility. Fibroids, a blocked Fallopian tube or anovulation (a period without an egg) can all occur in these circumstances. If you have been trying for a year without success to get pregnant, you should see a fertility specialist, and go after six months if you are over age 35.
What you use for birth control can affect your fertility — in the short term.
Most sexually active women use birth control until they are ready to conceive. There are many options today, and some, like the pill, will have little to no effect on your fertility. However, injectables such as Depo-Provera and Lunelle have residual effects that last for up to a year in some cases. Keep this in mind if you are considering starting a family in the next few months.
To learn more about female fertility, please visit our website. If you think you might need to speak to one of our doctors, please schedule a consultation.
There are many important factors and considerations regarding female fertility. It’s better to know them now before you are trying to get pregnant. Then, you can take the proper steps to ensure that when the time is right, your fertility health will be ready and able to help you achieve your dreams of a family.
Sources:
Gurevich, Rachel. “9 Things Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Fertility.” Infertility.about.com. Web. 11 January 2016. < http://infertility.about.com/od/tryingtoconceive101/ss/Things-Every-Woman-Needs-to-Know-About-Her-Fertility.htm#step2>.
Hunt, Stephanie. “8 Surprising Facts About Fertility.” www.parents.com. Web. 11 January 2016.