I mentioned a week ago that my husband and I were planning to have another baby.  Our daughter’s sixteen-months-old, I’d like to work full-time again once my children are in school, I’ll be thirty-five in a few months… we’ve decided it’s the right time for us.  Sure there are reasons it’s NOT a good time, but the pros outweigh the cons.

All this talk about babies and pregnancy got me to thinking and reading about fertility.  I’m sure you’ve heard, just like I have, “You got plenty of time!  Don’t rush.  Women are having babies later in life…” blah, blah, blah…  You’ve probably said it yourself.  Well, do we really have a lot of time?

Marie Claire magazine discusses aging and fertility in its February 2009 issue.  In the article “Fertility 101” we are reminded that our eggs age and we run out of viable ones the older we get.  Most women have a fertility peak in their 20s.  Around thirty-one, fertility starts to drop.  By age thirty-five, one in four women have trouble getting pregnant.

So, do we have plenty of time?  Not all of us.  Some women have more time than others… do you know which one you are?

Now, this in NO WAY is encouraging anyone to rush in to having a baby if you are not ready.  I am just intending to point out that if you are married, have a steady career, and think you have plenty of time to put it off, that may or may not be true for you.

If you find yourself having to postpone having children for a few years, the article gives tips for boosting your fertility:

1.  Control Stress

2.  Take folic acid early and often

3.  Quit smoking

4.  Don’t overexercise (I’m certainly not in danger of doing this)

5.  Drink conservatively

6.  Maintain a healthy weight

I encourage you to read the article in its entirety and other fertility resources if you interested in adding to your family.

My preconception checkup went well… so, I’ll keep you posted.