5 Best Practices for Boosting Your Fertility in Your Mid to Late 30s

Like millions of other women around the world, your life has been full and busy, and family building has taken a backseat. Now, you’re ready to create that family of your dreams, but you’re worried that your age might have something to say about that.

In the United States, the average age of first-time moms has increased over the decades and now stands at 27.5. Driving much of this increase are these numbers: a rise of 12.6% in new moms aged 30 to 34 and a 25% increase in new mothers aged 35 and older.

Since age is a big factor when it comes to fertility, the team of family building specialists at Bay Area Physicians for Women’s Health wants to review some great fertility-optimizing strategies below. Let’s take a look.

The impact of age on your fertility

Let’s first set the stage with a brief explanation as to why age can affect fertility. Your peak fertility is between your late teens and your late 20s. After that point, your fertility gradually starts to decline.

This age-related drop occurs for two main reasons:

1. The number and quality of your eggs decline as you age.
2. As women get older, there are more chances of developing gynecologic conditions that can interfere with fertility, such as endometriosis.

When you combine these two influences, women aged 30 and older can encounter more fertility hurdles.

Strategies for optimizing your fertility

There are no guarantees when it comes to fertility, and age is only one influence. So, if you want to increase your chances of having kids in your mid to late 30s, it’s a great idea to be proactive and address other risk factors, such as:

1. Losing weight

Having obesity is a major fertility hurdle, and slightly more than 40% of adults in the US are in this weight category. If you’re carrying excess pounds, it can lead to malfunctions in your menstrual and ovulation cycles. Not to mention, having obesity can also reduce your chances of success with infertility treatments.

So, if you’re overweight or have obesity, some weight loss can certainly boost your reproductive health, especially if you’re already at a disadvantage on the age front.

2. Improve your diet

Although weight can certainly influence fertility, so, too, can your diet. Modern diets are full of junk and processed foods that lead to inflammation in your body; inflammation that can affect your fertility.

So, to improve your fertility, we suggest a diet that decreases this inflammation, including:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Lean proteins
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Low-fat dairy

A good rule of thumb is to shift your diet to consuming foods in their original, unprocessed form.

3. Check for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Untreated STIs are a common driver of infertility in women of all ages, because they can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. So, if you’re sexually active and at risk, we suggest that you test regularly for STIs, which we can clear up quickly.

4. Ditch those vices

If you use tobacco or nicotine products, use recreational drugs, or drink alcohol, we suggest that part of your fertility-improving strategy include ditching these habits. Each of these vices works against your fertility, so quitting or reducing them is a great plan, and not just for your reproductive health.

5. Have us evaluate your fertility

If you’re in your mid to late 30s, it’s a really good idea to see us for a fertility evaluation before you get started on family building. During this visit, we’ll run tests and perform an exam to ensure everything is in order. 

If we were to leave you with one thought, it’s that you should be optimistic about late family-building, as millions of women have successfully done before you. That said, if there’s a way to increase your chances, you should grab it, and the list above is the best place to start.

If you have questions or would like a fertility assessment, please contact our office in Mobile, Alabama, to schedule an appointment.