If you are planning a baby, then you may be thinking if ‘now’ is the right time, or you should wait…or are you late?
The best time to get pregnant is actually subjective, depending on person to person.
You should see if you are physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially ready to welcome a baby.
Read on to find what age would suit you best, to get pregnant.
Before age 20
Having children in your teens may not be an ideal scenario, as there could be financial issues and you may not be mentally prepared to raise a kid. Biologically, at this time women’s fertility peaks. “You are also likely to be at a lower weight, (which helps) decrease pregnancy complication risks like gestational diabetes and hypertension,” Dr. Goodall McDonald shared with Parents.
20 to 24
Most people in their early twenties are very fertile. As per data, women have about a 25% chance of getting pregnant every month. You can experience financial difficulties if you are still establishing your career.
25 to 29
Biologically, the chances of conceiving in your late 20s is almost as same as that in your early 20s. The pros are that you may have more wisdom, patience and financial stability for having kids at this age.
30 to 34
“Once you hit your 30s, particularly 35 and beyond, we do start seeing a diminution in fertility—but that’s not an absolute,” says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale University. “If you are still quite busy with establishing a career, or haven’t found the perfect partner, you shouldn’t be pushed into getting pregnant just to have a child.”
The benefits of having your first child in your early 30s is that you get a significant amount of time to enjoy your young adult years and explore and develop your career.
35 to 39
Health experts share that fertility starts to decline substantially at 32, which further declines at 37. The same goes for the likelihood of success rates of infertility treatments such as IVF. Health risks also start to rise with getting pregnant at a later age, such as hypertension and gestational diabetes.
40 to 45
According to research, by age 40, a healthy person’s chances of becoming pregnant every month are less than 5%. People over 40 also have an increased risk of early pregnancy complications such as miscarriages. They are also more likely to suffer from low birth weight, preterm labor, and a higher rate of fetal demise.
