In today’s world, we have the ability to choose so much in our lives…what we do, what we eat, what we drive, what we wear. These choices enable us to craft the lives that we want on the scale and timeline that suits our goals. And, in a perfect world, this would include building our families.
With each passing day, opportunities across the globe are expanding, and women are rightly taking advantage of these chances to develop their careers and enrich their lives. More and more women are achieving advanced degrees and making huge differences in workplaces across markets and industries. Unfortunately, this often comes with the trade-off of delaying childbearing beyond the peak fertility years.
Thankfully, this is no longer a deterrent to pursuing your dreams. Breakthroughs over the past 20 years have changed the game. Together with a fertility specialist, it is possible to preserve your fertility potential at its prime through a procedure known as egg freezing so when you’re ready, you can grow your family.
So what are the “peak fertility” years? Based on research, we know that egg quality starts to decline around the age of 32. Prior to this, about 30% of a woman’s eggs are normal and capable of producing a baby. However, at 32 years old, this number drops to about 25%. By 35, it’s closer to 20%, and the decline in egg quality starts to increase from that point. It’s important to know that egg quality is only half the picture. Egg quantity, also called egg reserve, is a measure of the number of eggs a woman has and is different for everyone. Unlike egg quality, which is closely related to age, it is impossible to predict without a simple evaluation by your physician.
If you’re wondering where you stand, or want more information about your egg reserve and options for preserving your fertility through egg freezing, contact a fertility specialist at Fertility Answers.
Join Dr. Neil Chappell for an informative presentation “Egg Freezing: Expanding a Woman’s Options,” Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 6pm at Woman’s Hospital. Click here for more info!