These days more couples are delaying starting family into early mid-thirties’. The golden age for women
to conceive in their third decade of life that is their twenties. As more women are delaying getting pregnant, it is even more important that they try and maintain healthy life style to maintain optimum fertility.
Age and Fertility
Women’s age plays an important role in their fertility, women are born with around 4-5 million eggs which remain in a quiet stage until they reach teenage years. From teenage onwards, there is a slow and steady loss of the follicles and only 400,000 – 500,000 follicles remain. The process of the drop in quality and quantity of eggs gathers pace around the mid-thirties’. It gains even more pace in late thirties and later as women enter into their 40’s. The chances of getting pregnant for women in their 40’s can be as low as 5% when compared to
25% in their twenties.
25% in their twenties.
This does not mean that women cannot get pregnant. However, it does imply that those women trying to conceive in late thirties’ onwards may take longer to conceive. Or, they are more likely to need fertility treatment. It is important that women understand how their age might be affecting fertility. As women grow older, the process of division of the genetic material inside the egg cell becomes faulty. This may result in unequal split of the genetic material. This results in some eggs having too few or too many copies of chromosomes. When such eggs fertilise with sperms, they create a chromosomally abnormal embryo. This may lead to either failure to conceive when trying naturally or failed IVF treatment or miscarriage.
Diet and Fertility
Heavy smoking or even mild to moderate smoking over many years may damage the ovarian reserve. This means that it can affect the quality and quantity of the eggs. Hence, can affect your chances of conceiving. Some of the effect on ovarian reserve is reversible, but many years of heavy smoking can hasten ovarian aging. So, it may be worthwhile to think of giving up smoking. This will not only help fertility, but will be good for health overall in long term. Similarly, excess alcohol consumption or binge drinking may have negative effect on your fertility. Whilst looking into some of these life style factors, it is also recommended that you ensure intake of healthy balanced diet.
Your diet should provide you with the daily recommended intake of the essential nutrients, vitamins, mineral, trace elements and antioxidants. Whilst there is no prescribed fertility diet, but minimising the intake of fast foods or tinned foods or ready to eat meals or foods high in trans fats may minimise any potential effect on your fertility over years.
Stress adn Fertility
Stress is a common occurrence nowadays. There is evidence that suggests that couples who are stressed may take longer to conceive. So, even if you are not trying to conceive managing general stress will not only maintain optimal fertility, but will also help in better general health. There are certain gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis that may affect fertility. It is important that it is optimally managed to avoid any long term effect on fertility. Repeated pelvic surgery in such patients may affect ovarian reserve or lead to blockage of fallopian tubes. So, keeping it suppressed using hormonal pills may help avoid repeated strategy whilst providing symptom relief. Hence, it is important that patients discuss this with their gynaecologist or fertility specialist.
Also, early detection and treatment of pelvic infection may help avoid any long term consequences such as blocked fallopian tubes. So, if women experience any symptoms suggesting pelvic infection, then they should consider seeing their Doctor or specialist for further advice.