Whatever your age, learn the most pressing fertility concerns for your decade and what you can do to maximize your chances for pregnancy.
When we're ready to get pregnant we expect our bodies to cooperate. But lifestyle choices and health conditions–both in and out of our control–may affect our ability to conceive. While success depends largely on our ovaries' ability to produce grade A, high-quality eggs, there are still plenty of things women of any age can do to boost their fertility quotient now.
In Your 20s
The odds are stacked in your favor. "There aren't many women in their twenties who have infertility," says Lynn Westphal, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto. Indeed, you've got up to a 25 percent chance of conceiving each month. After four to five months, most women in their early twenties become pregnant. It takes an average of six to seven months if you're in your late twenties. You can help the process along:
Learn How Your Choice of Contraception Affects Conception
Numerous studies have confirmed that using hormonal birth control—whether the Pill, patch, ring, rod, shot, or intrauterine device (IUD)–does not cause infertility. However, you may not ovulate for three to four months after stopping, which will delay conception. After going off the Pill, for instance, it takes an average of four months to become pregnant, according to a 2006 report, Dialogues in Conception, published by the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in 2006. It's thought to be similar with the hormonal patch and the vaginal ring. But it takes an average of 10 months to conceive after your last contraceptive shot, and 12 months or more after having an IUD removed.
Get Tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Women under 25 make up half of all cases of STDs, according to 2005 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If left untreated, these infections can damage the reproductive organs, causing an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy and/or infertility. Get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea before trying for a baby. If you've had unprotected sex with multiple partners, also get tested for HIV and hepatitis B, and get vaccinated against the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common cause of cervical cancer, says Dr. Westphal.
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If You Smoke, Quit
Women who smoke have both lower conception rates and higher rates of infertility compared with non-smokers, according to a 2001 Surgeon General's report on women and smoking. The chemicals in tobacco smoke are believed to alter the body's production of estrogen and progesterone, creating an imbalance that can impair tubal function and hinder conception and implantation. Smoking cigarettes also doubles the risk of having a low birthweight baby, and can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, placental problems, bleeding, and premature birth. What's more, smoking in your twenties may impair ovarian function years down the road.
Avoid Recreational Drugs
Marijuana may impede the egg's passage into the uterus and hinder its ability to implant, according to researchers from the University of Buffalo. Women who smoke pot at the time of conception have a higher rate of miscarriage. There's little data on the effects of cocaine and methamphetamine on conception, but both are associated with premature birth and low birth weight, possibly because they restrict the flow of blood from the placenta, preventing the fetus from getting adequate nutrients.
Avoid Alcohol
Studies suggest that as little as three or fewer drinks a week can interfere with menstruation and ovulation and cause abnormalities in the uterine lining, disrupting implantation. Once a woman is pregnant, alcohol increases the risk of miscarriage and can impair fetal development. "While trying to conceive it's best if women do everything in moderation," says Dr. Westphal, who adds that an occasional glass of wine isn't likely to be a problem.
Maintain a Normal Weight
Being overweight or underweight can make it harder to conceive. If you're under your ideal weight (meaning a body mass index–BMI–of less than 18.5), you can become estrogen deficient; even if you continue to ovulate, the lining of your uterus may not be able to support a fertilized egg. If you're overweight (a BMI of 25 and up), your body can produce too much estrogen, delaying ovulation and causing irregular cycles. To figure out your own BMI, input your height and weight into the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s Standard BMI Calculator.
Begin Taking a Prenatal Vitamin
A fetus can develop a neural tube defect (NTD), a serious disorder of the spinal cord and brain, in the first 28 days after conception when many women don't even know they're pregnant yet. To help prevent this disorder, women need to have the right amount of folic acid before they conceive. Public health experts recommend that all women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily (and then at least 600 mcg a day once you're pregnant). Prenatal vitamins contain optimal amounts of folic acid; they also have the iron and calcium your body needs to meet the demands of pregnancy.
Know When to Seek Help
If you haven't conceived in 12 months, consult your gynecologist or a fertility specialist, and make sure your partner is evaluated, too. Two of the more common causes of infertility in women in their twenties are endometriosis, which causes uterine tissue to grow in the abdomen, ovaries, and fallopian tubes; and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an overproduction of testosterone, characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, ovarian cysts, obesity, and excessive hair growth on the face, chest, and abdomen. Both are treatable.
