The fertility of women and the desire to become a mom

When is the right time in my/our life to have a child?

Am I even ready to become a mother?

These are two classic questions that many ask themselves before deciding to pursue pregnancy. The answer is not always clear-cut.

For some, it may be very clear, and the desire to become a mother or father outweighs everything else. But for others, it may be more difficult to answer these questions. Because who determines when the right time is, and what does it even mean “to be ready”?

Women’s fertility – the biological clock

However, an important topic, especially for women, is that our biological clock cannot be ignored. Women’s fertility has not evolved when considering when we start having children today. In 2022, the average age for first-time mothers in Denmark was 29.9 years, and this number has only increased in recent years.

For many women, it is a desire to become a mother someday, but at the same time, they don’t know much about their fertility. Because how was it again with ovulation and menstruation? When exactly can one become pregnant, and do we even have a way to increase our chances?

We hope to answer some of these questions with this blog post.

Women’s fertility – how many eggs do we have?

All women are born with approximately 1-2 million eggs. This number cannot be changed; we cannot get more eggs throughout our lives. By the time we reach puberty, however, the number of eggs has been reduced to between 300,000-400,000. Women become fertile when they have their first ovulation and menstruation.

Even though it sounds like we have plenty of eggs to get pregnant with, unfortunately, we can’t use them all. In each cycle, usually one egg is released at the time of ovulation, which is the egg that can be fertilized either through intercourse or in connection with an IUI treatment in the natural cycle. However, at the same time as the release of one egg, about 1000 immature eggs are also lost.

Women’s fertility – ovulation

About 14 days before menstruation, a woman ovulates. Ovulation means that an egg is released from the ovaries. This happens due to a rise in the hormone LH. This rise can be measured using ovulation tests and helps to calculate when ovulation will occur.

When the egg is released, it is captured by the fallopian tube, where it can be fertilized within 12-24 hours. Therefore, it is possible to become pregnant both before and after ovulation through intercourse or IUI treatment.

Ovulation occurs only once during a cycle. Therefore, there are only very few days in the year when a woman can become pregnant.

Women’s fertility – egg quality

Women’s fertility declines with age, which is related to a decline in the quality of eggs. A woman’s fertility peaks in her 20s. Here, egg quality is at its best, and the woman has the best chances of getting pregnant. Women’s fertility begins to decline in their 30s, and it is especially from the age of 35 that the greatest dip in the fertility curve can be seen. From this point onwards, it can be difficult for some women to become pregnant. Therefore, one should not wait too long to seek help in form of fertility treatment if one as a woman has a desire for children and is older than 35 years.

Egg quality and risk of development problems

The risk of errors occurring during the cell division process of the egg increases with the age of the eggs. If the cell division process does not proceed correctly, it can result in an egg having an abnormal number of chromosomes.

This is also why the risk of having a child with developmental problems increases with the age of the expectant mother. This is because the best eggs mature and are used when one is in one’s 20s. The older you get, the more poor-quality eggs you have. This is nature.

How to improve egg quality

Nothing can be done to improve egg quality, just as one cannot avoid getting older. But one can contribute to not affecting fertility. This includes avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, among other things.

Additionally, living a healthy lifestyle and exercising is beneficial. Your lifestyle is particularly important if you are overweight and do not have a regular cycle due to being overweight.

Women’s fertility – when is it too late to become a mother?

Even though the chance of getting pregnant and having a child decrease with age, it does not mean that one cannot become a mother after the age of 40.

All women are different and are born with their individual number of eggs. Some women have more eggs and therefore several good eggs after turning 40, while others have fewer eggs and therefore prematurely have only poor-quality eggs left.

Becoming a mom after the age of 40

An example that it is indeed possible to become pregnant after the age of 40 is Katrin. She was 42 years old when she became the mother of her daughter after an IUI treatment at our clinic. You can read her story here.

Unfortunately, the chances of getting pregnant in your 40s are not the best. It may be a good idea at this point to consider what type of fertility treatment is right for you. We have written a blog post about this, which you can read here.

We would like to say that it is never too late to become a mother, but unfortunately, that is not true. In Denmark, fertility treatment is only offered until the woman’s 46th birthday.

Women’s fertility – when should I consider fertility treatment?

When a couple or a single woman feels ready to become parents is individual, and nothing is more correct than the other.

If you as a heterosexual couple have been unsuccessfully trying to conceive for some time, or if you as a single woman or as a lesbian or transgender couple want to learn more about your options for treatment with donor sperm, you are always welcome to contact us here at Diers Klinik.

Seek information about fertility treatment

You can book a free initial consultation here on the website. We will explain to you exactly what an insemination treatment involves and what it means to start treatment during the consultation. The consultation is non-binding. You can first learn more about the process during the consultation and find out about your options. When you want to undergo treatment is entirely up to you.

You can also contact us by email or phone anytime if you have any questions.