How does my age affect my ability to conceive?

How does my age affect my ability to conceive?

Jay Goldberg (Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) gives expert video advice on: What factors affect my ability to get pregnant?; How does my age affect my ability to conceive?; How can I improve my chances of getting pregnant? and more...

Age is a major factor in your ability to conceive. A woman's most fertile period of life, when it's easiest to conceive is probably in her early twenties; late teens, early twenties. As time goes on, the quality of the eggs diminishes. Eggs are generated or formed at conception, so a woman's eggs are a finite number. You have a certain amount when you're born. At puberty it's less, at 20 it's less, at 30 it's less. So by 40-45 years old your ability to spontaneously conceive without the assistance of fertility specialists is less than 1% at that point.