Women2Women - Summer 2017 - 33

Getting Pregnant in your 20s, 30s, & Beyond...

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H

ow exciting...you're thinking of having
a baby!! You and your partner have

probably already talked about how this
new addition would bring such joy to your
family, discussed the possibility of needing
a bigger house or a bigger car, and thought
about all the cute baby things that would
soon be invading your living space. In all your
thoughts of welcoming a baby into your life,
did you ever consider how your age plays a
role in getting pregnant and having a healthy
pregnancy? Jessika Kissling, MD, OB/GYN
at Penn State Health Saint Joseph Medical
Group, says that age is the MOST important
factor affecting fertility chances, and she has
provided some information for women of all
ages considering pregnancy.

GETTING PREGNANT IN YOUR 20S
Congratulations!! You are in the prime
age range to consider having a baby. You are
usually your healthiest in your 20s, so your
body is in its ideal condition for conception,
pregnancy, and delivery. Just because this
is the ideal decade to get pregnant, doesn't
mean it always happens quickly for everyone.
Dr. Kissling says that each month, a woman's
odds of pregnancy is around 20%. However,
the great news is that 80% of couples will
conceive within the first year.

GETTING PREGNANT IN YOUR 30S

considered to be of an "advanced maternal
age" if they conceive after the age of 35. Dr.
Kissling says that's the age when pregnancy
risks such as genetic abnormalities, miscarriage,
high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, birth
complications, or cesarean section can increase.
Dr. Kissling also suggests that if you are in
your 30s and you are not planning pregnancy
for several more years, discuss your plans with
your gynecologist and consider getting a referral
to a fertility specialist to discuss your options.

GETTING PREGNANT IN YOUR
40S AND BEYOND

Many women are still very healthy in this age
range and can conceive without difficulty, as
well as have healthy pregnancies and deliveries.
Something to keep in mind is that fertility in
women starts to decrease at age 32 and becomes
more rapid after age 37. Women become less
fertile as they age, because of the decreasing
supply of eggs in their ovaries. Also the ease of
which the eggs can become fertilized in older
women is not as ideal as they are in younger
women. Other conditions that can arise in this
decade that can affect fertility are endometriosis
and uterine fibroids, which become more
common with increasing age as well. All of
this plays a big part in your body's ability to
conceive, so it may take a little longer than
when you were 25, but it's not impossible!

Some important things to consider in this
age range are your preexisting health status
and your prior pregnancy history. Women
who are healthy and who have already had
healthy pregnancies, can still do so into their
40s, too. Just keep in mind, with the continued decrease in fertility, conception becomes
more difficult. Dr. Kissling says that by age
40, fertility has typically fallen by half and
the odds of conceiving are 5% each month.
The pregnancy risks that go along with being
advanced maternal age continue to rise, as well.

Your overall health is very important for
pregnancy in your 30s. Older women are more
likely to have preexisting health problems than
younger women. Because of this, women are

* Discuss plans for pregnancy with your doctor at visits, even if not yet actively trying
* Once you're ready to try for pregnancy,
plan a pre-conceptual visit with your doctor

ADVICE FOR WOMEN OF ALL AGES
Dr. Kissling stresses that no matter what
age you are, there are important things ALL
women should do before trying to get pregnant:

* Make sure to share any plans you may
have for travel outside the United States,
especially to areas that are affected by
the Zika virus. Definitely let your care
provider know if you want to consider
conceiving in the 2-6 months following
travel to these areas
* If you have any medical concerns such
as high blood pressure, diabetes, or take
medications for another chronic condition,
plan a visit with your medical doctor as
well and discuss your plans for pregnancy.
The best time to discuss medication changes
and if things are safe for pregnancy is
before you conceive
* Exercise regularly. If you are overweight or
obese, consider making changes to achieve
weight loss prior to attempting pregnancy
* Take 0.4mg folic acid at least 1 month
prior to trying to conceive
* Quit smoking, avoid drinking alcohol
and drug use n

By Jessika M. Kissling
MD, FACOG OB/GYN

Penn State Health
St. Joseph

By Kimberly Hunter
MSN, RN, NE-BC OB
Nurse Navigator

Penn State Health
St. Joseph

berkswomen2women.com 33
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Women2Women - Summer 2017
