Many people are waiting until later on in life to start a family, however, the peak time to conceive in both males and females is during the mid-twenties.  It is no shock that fertility decreases with age - it begins to decline in women over 30 and men over 40.

Endometriosis, tubal infections, and tubal infections are the cause of many miscarriages in older women.  However, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant as you get older.

Cysts are formed when the follicle does not rupture during ovulation and starts to grow instead.  Women who have this condition tend to get their periods very infrequently as opposed to once a month.  Engaging in a healthy lifestyle will increase your chances of getting pregnant.  Women who drink excessively are at risk for having babies with fetal alcohol syndrome.  Even moderate drinking can cause mental retardation, facial deformities, and behavioral issues.  Try to limit your temptations of drinking by asking your spouse or partner not to drink, don’t keep a full bar in your house, and drink grape juice instead of wine.

Smoking increases your chances of having a miscarriage in the first trimester.  Smoking while pregnant also encourages under weight babies.  In addition, pregnant women should also avoid second hand smoke and attempt to quit smoking before trying to conceive as it decreases the fertility rates.  It would also be a good idea to wean yourself off of coffee since it’s been medically proven that caffeine affects a woman’s fertility.  You should avoid all coffee, even decaf.  Drugs, stress and smoking can affect male fertility.  Men should also wear loose fitting clothing as a general rule of thumb.

The use of recreational drugs is bad for your health whether you are pregnant or not.  Even over the counter drugs can harm your baby and cause a miscarriage.  Healthy eating is imperative when you are trying to get pregnant as well as during the 9 month duration.  It’s beneficial to increase your intake of folate before you get pregnant.  It is needed before and during the first weeks of pregnancy and can help decrease the risk of serious and common birth defects.  Leading a healthy lifestyle benefits you as well as your unborn child, so why not start now?

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