Chances of Getting Pregnant at Every Age

If you’ve waited a bit to try to get pregnant, the anxiety that comes with feeling like time might not be on your side is real. While it seems like there are always stories about celebrities having babies later in life, the truth is that your chances of getting pregnant are different at every age. With some research suggesting that fertility begins declining before 30, it’s reasonable to wonder how worried you should be. Information is power, so let’s take a deeper look at your chances of getting pregnant at every age and what to consider as you plan your timeline.

Why fertility changes over time

Age, especially for women, is one of the leading causes of infertility. Women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have — and, over time, both the quality and quantity of the eggs begin to decline. This decline not only makes it harder to get pregnant but also makes it harder to stay pregnant. Miscarriage is more common for older mothers, as the average woman aged 35-45 has a 20-35% chance of a miscarriage.

While there are interventions that can help improve egg quality, there are currently no ways to generate new eggs. As Dr. Janelle Luk, medical director of Generation Next Fertility, explains, “Women experience peak fertility in their 20s, with a minor decline starting in their late 20s. This decline in fertility accelerates in the mid- to late 30s and continues through the 40s, until menopause is reached. The decline in fertility is not significant between 27 and 33, but it is significant between 35 and 42.”

As women age, they are also more likely to develop other chronic health conditions, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and diabetes, which can negatively impact fertility.

Getting pregnant in your 20s

If you are hoping to get pregnant in your 20s, there’s good reason to be optimistic. Women in their 20s have an over 80% chance of getting pregnant in the first year of trying and a 25% chance of getting pregnant in any given cycle, so many lucky 20-somethings might have a positive pregnancy test even in their first month of trying. This decade is not only the most fertile period for many women, but women in their 20s also have a lower risk for miscarriage than women in their 30s and beyond.

Getting pregnant in your early 30s

While your fertility begins to decline in your late 20s, the chances of getting pregnant in your early 30s are significantly different from your chances once you hit 35 — the magic age where you get the highly flattering label of “advanced maternal age.” Women in their early 30s have just over a 60% chance of getting pregnant within the first year of trying to conceive and around a 20% chance of getting pregnant in any given cycle. The good news for women in this stage of life is that the odds of carrying the pregnancy to term, with good health outcomes for mom and baby, are still on your side.

Pregnancy at 35 and beyond

While pregnancy after 35 and into your 40s is still possible, it is likely more difficult and might take longer and require more medical intervention than before. Women who are 35 to 39 have about a 50% chance of conceiving within a year of trying, while women ages 40 to 44 see that chance of success dropping to under 40%.

Compared to women aged 30-31, there is a 53% reduction in the chance of conceiving for women who are 40-41. By age 40, the average woman has roughly a 5% chance of getting pregnant per cycle. After age 45, gynecologists describe getting pregnant naturally as “unlikely for most women.”

For women who do get pregnant after 35, there are increased risks for things like miscarriages, chromosome abnormalities, and developing gestational diabetes, as well as an increased chance of having twins. For all of these reasons, women in this age range can expect to be more closely monitored by their doctor for the duration of their pregnancies.

What about his fertility?

Although the changes in fertility are less pronounced and arguably discussed less often than the role of age in women, there’s evidence that suggests that age matters for male partners too. Men will continue to make new sperm well past retirement age — as Mick Jagger, who became a father again at age 73, could attest — but not all sperm is created equal. The quality, quantity, and motility of sperm decline as a man ages, starting as early as age 40 and becoming more noticeable after age 50. Women with older partners may also need to factor his age into the equation when it comes to family-planning timelines.

When to get help with getting pregnant

The decision about when to get fertility help is also affected by age. For women under the age of 35, the standard advice is to try to conceive for a year before making an appointment with a fertility specialist. Once a woman is over 35, however, that “trying” window is cut in half and fertility help should be pursued after six months of unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant. Women who are 40 or over should start talking to their doctor as soon as they start trying to get pregnant, if not before.

Good news and bad news

The average age for a first pregnancy in the United States has been steadily increasing over time. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are now more women in their early 30s having babies than younger moms, and the average age of a first-time mom is now 28, compared to 24 back in 1970. Partially contributing to this increase in the average age of new moms have been significant advances in fertility treatments, which have made conception more possible for some couples.

Despite these advances, fertility treatments continue to be expensive, and there are no guarantees, which means that the biological clock keeps on ticking. In light of this reality, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all women work with their doctor to develop a reproductive life plan

Published July 21, 2019

The Chances of Getting Pregnant at Every Age

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