From the reality that age isn’t on your side to freezing your eggs, expert reveals all you need to know about YOUR fertility
More women are leaving trying for a baby until later in life, here Dr Anabel Salazar explores some of the challenges they may face
IT is a fact of the society we live in - life events are happening later and later.
While some women opt to pursue their careers, others are waiting to find their life partner before having children.
Meanwhile, for many couples, financial uncertainty is a guiding factor in choosing when to procreate.
But, whether we like it or not, there is a catch.
The fact remains that by choosing to postpone motherhood - for whatever reason, be it a conscious decision or life circumstances working against you - complications do occur when a woman tries to conceive at an older age.
Dr Anabel Salazar, an internationally renowned fertility specialist at IVI Fertility said it is important that women of all ages are well-informed about their fertility chances, before it is too late to assess options.
Your 20s are your most fertile years. Therefore it is biologically the best decade for conceiving and carrying a baby
Dr Anabel Salazar, IVI Fertility
Here, she tells The Sun Online the challenges some women may face when they are trying to conceive, when is best to try for a baby and how to overcome the fertility hurdles you may face.
TICK, TOCK... UNDERSTANDING YOUR FERTILITY CLOCK
While it may be an uncomfortable truth for many women, it is a truth nonetheless, the most common cause of infertility is age.
In today's world it is not uncommon for women and their partners to begin trying for a baby until later in their 30s, or into their 40s.
Indeed, the number of older mums is growing.
But, Dr Salazar warned: "By this point, a woman's ovarian reserve and quality of eggs has gone into decline."
To put that in context, Dr Salazar explained a woman's typical "fertility life-span".
At the age of 13, a girl will have around 300,000 oocytes - a cell in the ovary that may mature into an egg.
But, what many people do not understand, she said, is "that from this age onwards, we will start to lose around 1,000 oocytes each month".
"For this reason, your 20s are your most fertile years," Dr Salazar explained.
"Therefore it is biologically the best decade for conceiving and carrying a baby."
By the age of 28, she said women must realise, the annual loss of oocytes "becomes even greater, and increases yet again then when a woman reaches her 40s".
Dr Salazar said: "Although some women are lucky enough to conceive naturally in their late 30s and 40s, there is no denying that the chances of becoming pregnant are a lot lower for this age group."
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WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO SEEK HELP IF YOU'VE BEEN TRYING WITHOUT SUCCESS?
Whatever a couple's age, if you have been trying to conceive naturally for a year and have been unsuccessful, Dr Salazar recommends visiting a fertility specialist.
"In the first instance, we would run a series of tests on both partners to find out why the couple are struggling to conceive," she explained.
"After we have completed these tests, and received the results, we would then review the treatment options."
Those options include IVF, ICSI, egg donation or sperm donation, she said.
"Once women hit their mid-40s, it is common for their menstrual cycles to become less regular as they head towards the menopause," Dr Salazar said.
"The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is unable to conceive naturally."
The average age for a woman in the UK to experience the menopause is 51.
TO FREEZE, OR NOT TO FREEZE?
With more and more women waiting until later in life to try for a baby, be it for their career or waiting for "Mr Right", egg freezing has become more popular.
In recent years, Dr Salazar said she and her colleagues have seen "a big increase" in the number of women choosing to freeze their eggs.
"The ability to freeze your eggs provides women with more control over if/when they would like to start a family however, we feel it is very important for women to understand the optimum time to start this process so that they have the best chance of having a baby later down the line," she said.
Dr Salazar advised the best age to freeze eggs is in your late 20s to early 30s, as "the younger the eggs are, the higher the pregnancy success rate will be".
WHAT ELSE COULD BE THE PROBLEM, ASIDE FROM AGE?
While a woman's progressing years is likely to be the main factor influencing her fertility, there are other factors that can play a role.
The medical condition polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant.
It is a hormone-related problem caused by small cysts growing on a woman's ovaries, Dr Salazar said.
Once women hit their mid-40s, it is common for their menstrual cycles to become less regular as they head towards the menopause. The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is unable to conceive naturally
Dr Salazar
Another condition that can hamper a woman's chances is endometriosis, the emergence and growth of endometrial tissue outside the womb, which causes severe cramps and irregular heavy bleeding.
"Both of these conditions cause problems with the regularity of a woman's menstrual cycle, therefore impacting their fertility and causing difficulties for them when trying to get pregnant," Dr Salazar said.
While there is currently no cure for PCOS or endometriosis, there are a number of ways in which patients can manage their symptoms effectively.
Dr Salazar said if you are trying to get pregnant and suffer from either of these conditions it is important to visit a fertility specialist, who can check for further problems before advising on the best treatment options.
LOOK AT YOUR LIFESTYLE...
There are many myths surrounding what does and does not boost a woman's chances of conceiving, including what foods she should eat to boost fertility.
But, Dr Salazar said: "Unfortunately, there is no scientific link between food, drink and fertility, but undoubtedly leading an overall balanced lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight is very important."
While there is no scientific link between food and infertility, there are a number of factors that have been proven by credible studies to impact on pregnancy success rates.
The biggest of these lifestyle factors is smoking, Dr Salazar explained.
"Smoking has been linked to conception rates, and also the health of unborn babies," she told The Sun Online.
"I recommend to my patients who are smokers that they should either cut down on the amount they smoke or quit altogether when trying to conceive.
"Caffeine and alcohol can also affect fertility, when consumed at a high level.
"However, if you use these substances in moderation it shouldn't have an impact on your fertility success."
Whatever your age or routine, Dr Salazar said the best measures a woman can take to protect her fertility is "maintaining a healthy weight, leading a non-stressful lifestyle, drinking sensibly and avoiding smoking".
The IVI Group has 40 clinics in 10 different countries, and to date they have helped more than 100,000 to be born.