Why Is Getting Pregnant After 35 More Difficult?

Finding out that you’re not having the fertility journey you expected can be emotionally challenging. However, even if you’re trying to get pregnant after 35, age is just one factor that can affect fertility, and you still have options open to you.

This article aims to help you understand how pregnancy works and learn ways to optimize your chances of getting pregnant by trying other natural and clinical methods.

The Role of Age in Pregnancy, and Fertility Basics

Normal, age-related declines in fertility are most pronounced in women over 35 years of age.

Semen is the substance that comes out of the penis during ejaculation. It contains millions of tiny sperm cells combined with other fluids. Most sperm won’t make it all the way from the vagina through the cervix and uterus and into the fallopian tubes, where fertilization takes place. In fact, only a single sperm will fertilize an egg.

There are two fallopian tubes. Each connects one of a woman’s two ovaries to her uterus. Once a month, one egg will leave one of a woman’s ovaries and travel into one of the fallopian tubes. This is called ovulation.

Age and Aging Are Important Fertility Factors

Pregnancy happens when a man’s sperm fertilizes a woman’s egg. The fertilized egg attaches itself successfully to the wall of the woman’s uterus, where it will continue to grow for the next nine months.

Common Factors That Can Limit Fertility

Both men and women can have fertility problems. While you can’t change your age, there are other steps couples can take to optimize fertility, even in their late thirties. Some causes of infertility can be reversed.

• Being overweight or obese: Overweight and obesity are clearly linked to fertility problems in both men and women.

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   Women who are underweight may also be at risk of infertility.

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   Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and healthy eating can help to reverse many fertility problems associated with weight.

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• Smoking:  Men who smoke are more likely to have sperm that are shaped abnormally or don’t swim properly, or to not have enough sperm.

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   Women who smoke may reach menopause around two years earlier than women who don’t smoke.

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• Heavy alcohol consumption or recreational drug use: These behaviors can lead to fertility problems in both men and women. They can also contribute to irregular, heavy, or absent periods, meaning that conceiving can get more difficult as you ovulate less often.

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• Steroids:  Using anabolic steroids has been linked to infertility in men.

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Medical Factors and Underlying Conditions That Can Affect Fertility

Some causes of infertility in women and men are medical. Luckily, many of these problems can be improved with medicine or surgery.

Medical conditions that can decrease a woman’s fertility include:

• Ovulation problems: Most cases of female infertility stem from ovulation issues. Absent or irregular periods could signal issues with ovulation.

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• Fallopian tube blockage: An obstruction in one or both fallopian tubes can make it harder for a fertilized egg to get to the uterus.

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• Endometriosis:  The growth of uterine tissue outside the uterus, or endometriosis, can cause menstrual irregularities or blockages in the fallopian tubes or ovaries that can impact fertility.

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• Polycystic ovary syndrome: PCOS or other hormonal conditions can cause ovulation problems.

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• Physical problems with the uterus: Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors that can develop on the walls of the uterus. While most women with uterine fibroids have no issues with fertility, fibroids can sometimes cause infertility or problems with pregnancy.

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• Testicular problems Having an undescended testicle, a gonadal disorder, or an injury to a testicle can cause problems for testicular function and sperm production.
• Hormonal imbalances Hormonal disorders, including low testosterone or thyroid problems, can lead to fertility problems.
• Sperm problems Some men have problems producing enough sperm, may produce sperm that are abnormally shaped, or make sperm that aren’t effective. These sperm may have difficulty reaching and fertilizing the egg.
• Blockages Obstructions in the ducts that carry sperm out of the testicles can result in fertility problems.
• Problems ejaculating For example, performance anxiety around fertility or other reasons might make ejaculating difficult, leading to delayed ejaculation.

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   Also, a condition called retrograde ejaculation may mean sperm ends up in the bladder rather than the penis, often as a side effect of some medications.
• Varicocele This enlargement of veins in the scrotum may harm sperm production and is present in about 30 percent of men with fertility problems, but 10 percent of those without.

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How to Naturally Boost Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Getting pregnant takes time. Even for fully fertile couples in their twenties and early thirties, getting pregnant may routinely take several months. In your late thirties, you may feel you no longer have the luxury of time.

Luckily, you can take a few steps to optimize your natural fertility and conceive as quickly as possible. These include tracking ovulation and timing sex around ovulation.

What Is the Fertility Window?

The best way to get pregnant is to have sex every one to two days during the fertility window.

Not all women have a 28-day cycle. Normal menstrual cycle length varies among women, and some women have cycles that change length from month to month.

Using Fertility Awareness-Based Methods

Fertility awareness-based methods can help couples better understand a woman’s monthly cycle and when she’s ovulating so that they can make the most of the fertile window.

• Keep a menstrual calendar. This can help you become more aware of when you menstruate and ovulate.
• Take your basal body temperature each morning. A woman’s body temperature may fluctuate around 0.5 degrees F around the time of ovulation, so tracking when that change occurs can help to observe your body’s monthly pattern.
• Check your cervical mucus. As a woman gets close to ovulation, her cervical mucus goes from being thick and cloudy to thinner, clearer, and more slippery.
• Use an ovulation predictor kit. These pee-on-a-stick kits detect luteinizing hormone, a hormone that peaks just before ovulation.

Opt for Fertility-Friendly Vaginal Lubrication or Lube

• Cellulose-based lubricants, including Pre-Seed and ConceivEase
• Mineral oil
• Canola oil

Be Open to Fertility Evaluation and Treatment

The Takeaway

• For couples struggling with conception after 35, it's important to know that this age-related fertility decline is common but that there are also viable steps and treatments available.
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle by regulating weight, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, and tracking ovulation can help enhance fertility naturally.
• If you try to get pregnant for six months without success, especially for women over 35, seeing a healthcare professional for a fertility evaluation can help you find out why and improve your odds.
• While advanced age can present challenges, modern medical interventions are helping many achieve successful pregnancies later in life, offering hope for older prospective parents.