What Are My Chances of Conceiving Child at 33?

Pregnancy Odds

• Female fertility drops off noticeably between ages 29 and 35. By 30, fertility typically has fallen 30 percent from its peak, and women 30 and older are less likely to become pregnant right away than women in their 20s. Still, the vast majority of women in their early 30s can conceive without fertility treatments or other medical interventions. A woman in her 30s has roughly a 15 percent chance of getting pregnant in a single ovulation cycle. Her chances of conceiving within a year of starting to try are about 75 percent.

Diseases

• Getting pregnant isn̵7;t about age alone. Women of a healthy reproductive age can have trouble conceiving if they have venereal diseases or inflammatory pelvic diseases. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can permanently scar reproductive tissues. Complications can include infertility and life-threatening pregnancies in the fallopian tube. Ten percent of women with pelvic inflammatory disease become infertile. As many as 70 percent of women who develop pelvic inflammatory disease three or more times can no longer conceive. A woman considering pregnancy should check with her doctor to see if she has inflammatory diseases that could make conception difficult.

Other Conditions

• Hormonal issues and reproductive disorders also alter a woman̵7;s ability to conceive. Polycystic ovary syndrome, indicated by unexplained weight gain and irregular periods, is a hormonal imbalance that stops the release of eggs each month. In endometriosis, the uterine lining migrates to other parts of the body, including the fallopian tubes, ovaries and other areas in the pelvis. Surrounding tissue becomes inflamed and scarred. Those lesions can block eggs from reaching the uterus for fertilization, or prevent ovaries from releasing eggs.

Complications

• For women who conceive in their early 30s, the risk of pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications rises considerably. Gestational problems such as fetal distress and prolonged second-stage labor are likelier in women in their early 30s than they are in 20-something moms. Such conditions often require Cesarean-section deliveries. Women ages 30 to 34 are two times more likely to have C-sections than women in their 20s. The risk of miscarrying between ages 30 and 34 is about 12 percent, and mothers who conceive after 30 are likelier than women in their 20s to have twins.

Testing

• Consult your doctor about tests to determine whether you can conceive. A blood test can check levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone and estradiol. The results will tell your doctor whether your reproductive hormones are balanced enough to allow for pregnancy. Pelvic ultrasounds and x-rays can help spot fertility-hampering cysts, growths or scarring in the reproductive system. An endometrial biopsy can uncover hormonal issues that cause infertility.