It’s a scenario that is all too common. A couple, busy with their careers, put off marriage and babies till they are in their thirties. By the time they feel they are ready to become parents, the goal of parenthood proves to be more elusive than anticipated.
Age plays an important role in fertility, yet many couples feel that they can outrun the pace of time. Dr Peter Chew, senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Gleneagles Hospital, has seen such couples far more often than he would like to.
“Many couples forget that by the time they finally decide to start trying for a baby, their chances of conception may have decreased tremendously due to age,” he notes. “Although medical technology has assisted women over 40 to conceive, they should not put off having children until their mid or late 30s. The optimal window for women to conceive is between the ages of 22 and 26.”
