In today's society postponing parenthood is becoming more common. As a matter of fact about 20 percent of new mothers are having babies in their mid to late 30's. Women are choosing delay parenthood in favor of establishing a career, financial security, waiting for the right mate and the fear of such a big responsibility.


As time goes on biological changes take place, a woman's body can have a negative effect on the ability of a woman to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term. For a woman age 30 to 35, there is a gradual decline in the ability of a woman to become pregnant, after 40, there's a sharp decline. The chance of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities, such as those that cause Downs syndrome, also increase with age. Even the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other similar procedures decreases with age.

Why does age play such an important role in fertility? One reason is that as a woman ages, she is less likely to ovulate regularly. In addition, she is more likely to have medical problems, such as endometriosis, that can cause infertility. But the most important reason is due to the condition and decreasing number of the woman's eggs. As eggs age, they become more resistant to fertilization. Also, more of the eggs tend to have chromosomal abnormalities, which may result in a miscarriage.