Is there really a 'right time' to get pregnant?

It's not just the biological clock, a woman needs to be mentally and physically prepared to go through a pregnancy at whatever age.
Is there really a 'right time' to get pregnant?
Is there really a 'right time' to get pregnant?
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“You are 30 now. It’s late to have a baby. Your biological clock is ticking” - common unasked for advice that women are used to hearing from parents, in-laws and even random people.

In recent years, many women, have been making the conscious decision to have a child (or children) at a time when they are positively prepared (mentally and physically) and/or when they have gained a strong foothold in their career. But, are the health concerns about pregnancy in the 30s, as expressed by some health professionals and the rest of society, real? Is there a ‘right time’ for a woman to get pregnant?

“Of course, I also had the usual anxieties about the biological clock,” says 35-year-old Ritu* from Chennai, who is six months pregnant and is based in the US currently. “I met a doctor in India, who pretty much said, ‘shop is closed’. When I moved to the US, a doctor here told me it’s the right time. Last year, my husband and I decided to give it a try. Since I didn’t want to go through the process of ‘try for a year’ and then check with a doctor, I opted for IVF and I am due in three months,” she says, while also talking about her colleague who had a natural delivery at the age of 42.

So, what is a biological clock?

“When a girl is developing in her mother’s womb, she has a reserve of eggs in the ovary. With each passing year of a woman's life, the egg reserve starts dwindling, even before menstruation starts. This refers to the biological clock of a woman. When she reaches the age of 37, there is going to be a remarkable decline in the egg reserve, and by 40, her egg reserve is definitely low, so she may take a little longer to conceive. Sometimes, even if they do not conceive naturally, they may have to resort to IVF,” says Dr Gayathri D Kamath, Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru.

Is there a 'right time' to get pregnant?

“My doctor reassured me that 34 is not too old,” says Mumbai-based Harshika* as she recalls her second pregnancy.

“After my first child at the age of 30, I delayed my second pregnancy as I wanted to get more confident at my work and get more experience. I was definitely more worried about getting complications during my second pregnancy; fortunately, nothing of that sort happened,” she says.

According to Dr Gayathri, the years between the first menstrual cycle and menopause are the reproductive years for a woman, biologically speaking. “But for a woman to have a successful outcome, the ideal child-bearing age is from 25 to 35,” she says.

However, she also adds that pregnancy can happen at the age of 40 as well and women can have a good outcome even then. “So, women who get married at the age of 38 and 39 should not think that they cannot get pregnant; it’s not a lost chance. There are several instances of women in the 40s getting pregnant. Consult with a health centre and go for special tests to help with a healthy process,” she says. 

Why good health is important

“Any woman can get pregnant any time they want to, provided they are conscious of their lifestyle, follow a good diet, maintain the right weight and good levels of iron and Vitamin D,” stresses Dr Gayathri. The women with whom TNM spoke also asserted that these factors helped them through pregnancy and delivery.

According to Dr Gayathri, many women, after their first child, tend to ignore their health and stop exercising as they spend their energy in taking care of the child. “In the bargain, their endurance levels decrease. Their nutrition and physical activities get affected. With the second child, the work increases exponentially,” she says, adding that a gap of two to three years between pregnancies would be ideal for the woman to be prepared.

For Gurugram-based Ruhi, giving birth at the age of 37 did not pose any health risk during pregnancy. It was after delivery that she felt the effects of her age.

“Age does play a role. Recovery gets slower after delivery. I was up and about on the third day after my first child. It took me close to 15 days to recover the second time,” she says.

Dr Shoba, a gynecologist based in Chennai, also points out that during pregnancy in the late 30s, women are more likely to develop health conditions such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and other complications linked to a genetic predisposition. “There are also chances that the foetus may develop chromosomal abnormalities, like Down Syndrome. Although it is rare, women can go for medical checkups to detect these,” she says.

Dr Gayathri further adds that the probability of a miscarriage increases as a woman gets closer to 40. “On an average, one in five women in the age group of 27 to 32 can experience miscarriages. But, about 55% of women can have a miscarriage as age advances,” she says. 

She also says, “Women should embark on pregnancy only when they are psychologically prepared, and not just because the biological clock is ticking.”

(*Names changed on request)

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