Pregnancy and Fertility
Is it possible that the old saying "the biological clock is ticking" is true? In fact, there's truth in that adage. In the early childbearing years, women generally have an easier time conceiving. There are many reasons for this.
A woman starts life with a limited number of eggs. Despite the fact that these eggs may number close to a million, only a selected few of them are actually in the ideal condition for creating a baby. Once a woman begins her period, that group of eggs in her ovaries begin to die off. As she grows older, the number of eggs she has keeps decreasing. Sometimes, a woman may produce more than one egg during ovulation possibly increasing the chances of pregnancy and in fact, a multiples pregnancy however those eggs aren't necessarily of ideal quality.
An additional reason why it is more difficult for women to get pregnant as they age is because their egg quality diminishes. Eggs need to be tough to reach fertilization and develop into a healthy embryo. Egg quality is always best in a woman at a young age and as she grows older, her eggs grow weaker.
Egg quality can be calculated by a FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) test on the third day of the menstrual cycle. This is a test which is conducted by taking a blood sample. Levels lower than 10 are normal. Anything over twenty-five is an abnormal level. Doctors say that levels from 10-25 are borderline those within these numbers might have difficulty conceiving, but it's still a good possibility that they will become pregnant.
Are we saying that a woman in her early forties will never get pregnant? That's not always the case. Some women in their later childbearing years will achieve a pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby, but odds are that there will be problems in conceiving. A forty year old woman will probably have more issues in getting pregnant she would have had at age twenty. Her eggs won't be as tough and healthy and there she will have fewer of them. Still, with a doctors care and fertility medications and treatments, it is possible to get pregnant.
About the Author
Being the father of eight children, Chris Dunn loves to write articles about labor for his <a href="http://www.childbirth.net/" style="text-decoration:underline;"> pregnancy website.
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here