The media has generally publicized the virtues of older motherhood and suggested that women can easily conceive in mid-life, maybe even up to menopause. Women who put off trying to have children until their mid to late 30s may worsen their chances of becoming pregnant and lose the chance altogether to become a parent. Over the past 10 or 15 years, millions of couples have had reproductive problems stemming at least in part from the woman's age. Female reproductive organs become less effective with age. When couples do decide to start a family, many find that they cannot.
Pregnancies can also be harder to maintain for older women.
Studies show that women in their 40s have a rate of one and a half more miscarriages than women in their 20s. The good news is that doctors keep a very close watch on the mother, and many of these problems can be avoided. The wealth of sophisticated new genetic screening methods now available to pregnant women has enabled them to establish the health of their fetuses early in pregnancy. Although these facts can seem depressing or scary, don't panic. It's best to know the facts and see how they fit into the rest of your life.