How To Reduce Your Fertility Age

Your chances of conceiving decline from your mid-30s, but there are steps you can take to turn back the clock

- Charlotte Haigh

In your mid-30s and want a baby – whether that’s now or in a few years? You’re not alone. Figures show one-in-five new mothers is over 35, and record numbers of women in their 40s are having babies. Not that it’s anything new – interestingly, more women had babies over 40 in 1947 than in recent years, and before the era of reliable contraception, the average age to have a last baby was 42. So while your 20s and early 30s are the optimum conception time, it’s certainly not necessarily over after that.

HELP YOURSELF

‘In purely biological terms, trying to start a family before you’re 35 is a good idea,’ says fertility expert and acupuncturist Emma Cannon, author of new book Fertile (Vermilion, £13.60). ‘But life may not work out that way and there’s a lot you can do to help increase your chances of conceiving at a later age.’ Even if you’re not thinking about having a baby just yet, you can start to protect your fertility now.

‘You can’t change your ovarian reserve – how many eggs you have left – but, says women’s health expert Dr Marilyn Glenville, what you can impact is the quality of those remaining eggs.

QUALITY FIRST

‘It’s really important to help the egg quality after you’re 35 as you have fewer eggs left, so safeguarding their quality helps make the most of the chances you have.’ We’re all different, and some women can conceive well into their 40s – but there’s no surefire way to know how long you have left on the fertility clock.