Jane, 36, is about to start trying for her first baby but
is a little concerned about getting pregnant and potential fertility issues due
to her age…
“I met my partner when I was in my early thirties and we got married last year. I know we don’t have a lot of time to wait so we’re going to start trying for a family this year but I’m a bit worried we’ll have issues due to me being in my mid 30s. I know a lot of people who have left it too late and ended up having to have expensive fertility treatment, or couldn’t conceive at all. I want to be relaxed going into this but I’m already worrying about the outcome and whether we’ll have any success.
I’ve always wanted children but I didn’t want to do it until I met the right person – now I have I’m worried it’s going to be too late and I’ll have problems conceiving. I have heard so much about ticking biological clocks and advancing maternal age that I’m starting to feel like I must be past it! I’d love to hear from some other mums around my age who have conceived naturally and also how many have needed some assistance. I would like to go into this with a realistic expectation of what my chances are so I don’t end up disappointed if it doesn’t happen as easily as I was hoping.”
The results of our mums survey are very reassuring for anybody in Jane’s position. Out of the mums surveyed, more than 90% conceived naturally, with approximately 50% of these being women aged over 30. Of the women aged over 30, almost half successfully conceived naturally within 6 months of trying.
There were a few things that our mums did to help increase their (or their partner’s fertility), the most popular being taking nutritional supplements and improving their diet before falling pregnant. Getting fitter and convincing their partner to follow suit was also a common pre-conception measure. Factors that may have adversely affected fertility for some of our mums included high stress levels and being overweight.
Here is some advice from other mums:
“Try and relax about it and take it as it comes – not always easy!” – Susan, 35, Lincolnshire
“Have hope but try not to put your life on hold,” – Emma, 33, Scotland
“I had just come off the contraceptive pill after 18 years and seemed to fall pregnant immediately!” – Rebecca, 34, South Wales
“Understanding your cycle helps – it gave me confidence about when I was most likely to get pregnant,” – Margaret, 32, East Anglia