How to Improve (or Preserve) Your Fertility After 35

Infertility is a stark reality for many women in their 30s. On average, fertility starts to decline around age 32 and declines even faster after 37. If you’re 35 or older and have been trying to get pregnant for six months, visit a fertility specialist.

Trusted women’s health provider Asia Mohsin, MD, specializes in treating age-related infertility and other types of infertility at Progressive Women’s Health OB/GYN in Friendswood, Texas. With her guidance, you can improve your odds of a healthy pregnancy before menopause.

In this article, we talk about why fertility declines as you age and give you our best tips for preserving or improving your fertility in your mid-30s and beyond:

Why fertility declines in your 30s

Age affects women’s fertility more than men’s for a specific reason. When you’re born, every egg your ovaries will ever release is already present inside your body. You’ll never make new eggs, while men constantly produce new sperm.

As you get older, you have fewer and fewer eggs in your supply. The quality of the eggs also declines. Your fertility peaks in your late teens and early 20s, then begins to drop when you enter your 30s.

You also have a higher risk of infertility-causing conditions by the time you’re 35. You might have trouble getting pregnant because of:

Ovarian cysts and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Endometriosis
Uterine fibroids
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Fallopian tube blockages

While these conditions and being older can make it more difficult to get pregnant, it isn’t impossible. Dr. Mohsin can help you increase your chances with fertility care.

Lifestyle changes to improve fertility after 35

Until you reach menopause, you can get pregnant as long as you care for your body and overall health. To support your fertility and improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy, Dr. Mohsin might advise you to:

Quit smoking
Get plenty of nutrients in your diet
Maintain a healthy weight
Get moderate exercise
Manage stress
Minimize drinking
Minimize caffeine
Practice safe sex to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Dr. Mohsin may also treat underlying conditions, like PCOS, that make it harder to get pregnant.

Improving your chances with fertility care

Progressive Women’s Health OB/GYN can improve your chances with fertility treatments if you’re over 35 and having trouble getting pregnant. Dr. Mohsin might recommend one or more of these strategies:

Tracking your cycle

Sometimes, boosting your chances of getting pregnant is as simple as tracking your cycle and pinpointing the best time to have sex (when you’re ovulating). Dr. Mohsin can help you do this accurately.

Drugs that make you ovulate

Medications like Clomid® can help kick-start ovulation or make you release more eggs.

In vitro fertilization (IVF)

IVF is a procedure to assist with egg fertilization. It helps join the sperm with the egg outside the body before implanting the embryo in the uterus.