What is the age interval considered fertile in women?

A woman is biologically and physiologically capable of becoming a mother only at a certain age period. The reproductive age of the fair sex, unfortunately, is shorter than that of men, which nature from youth to old age makes it possible to fertilize. A woman is not enough to be able to conceive, she needs to be able to bear and give birth to a baby. Knowing the limits of fertile age allows women to plan motherhood on time.

There are several views on fertility as the ability to continue the race. Politicians and specialists in the field of demography evaluate it in terms of the average total fertility rate, which requires the definition of such a thing as reproductive age. For statistical data, the average age from the end of puberty to the onset of menopause is used. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), reproductive age range from 15 to 55 years (in Russia, the period from 15 to 49 years is often considered a statistical reproductive period).

Doctors have their own opinion on this question. They do not repel one parameter - menopause as the end of reproductive age. They take into account the nuances that are important for conception, childbirth and childbirth. And therefore there are such concepts as early and late pregnancy, which are associated with certain risks to the life and health of women in labor and children.

Where do such time frames come from, and who decides when it is best for a woman to give birth? This dictates the female nature, which has provided for a certain cyclical nature of the work of the female body. Girls are born with amazing reproductive theoretical abilities - the egg supply in the ovaries of a newborn baby is more than a million immature oocytes. This is an ovarian reserve, which is given to a woman once and for a lifetime, it is not replenished, new sex cells, as it happens in men, are not produced. When the reserve is exhausted, the woman will enter a climacteric period.

A large part of the oocytes die even before the onset of puberty under the influence of negative factors - diseases, environmental conditions, stress, etc. The rest during puberty begin to be spent “according to purpose”. Each month it matures one (less often - more) ovum. If fertilization occurs, pregnancy begins, if not, menstruation begins, and a new oocyte matures again in a new cycle.

With each passing year, the fertility of the woman decreases, as the number of cycles without ovulation (maturation and release of the mature egg) increases. For example, at the age of 20 such cycles may be on the strength of 1-2 per year, and after 35 years the number of anovulatory cycles may well reach 5-6 per year.

With age, the state of health of the woman deteriorates, chronic diseases appear that can prevent the child from being carried out, even if the conception takes place. Genetic material, the carrier of which is the sex cell, is gradually “aging”, it can mutate, which is why the aging moms have higher risks of fetal chromosomal abnormalities (Down syndrome, Turner, Edwards, Patau and other difficult diagnoses).

That is why the medical framework of reproductive age is different from the statistical. Even if a woman in 50 years still has regular menstruation, this does not mean that she has a rich ovarian reserve, and the age-related decline in the production of sex hormones will allow her to conceive and carry out the baby. And the theoretical ability to conceive a child at 15 years of age does not guarantee normal childbirth and childbirth at this age.

The reproductive life of a woman is conditionally divided into several periods, which, according to WHO, are called groups of the fertile age. In compiling statistics, this division is usually not taken into account, since they take the total number of women of reproductive age. For physicians and the task of planning a pregnancy, the division into fertile periods is very important.

• Early fertile period - begins with the arrival of the first menstruation of the girl. This can occur at different ages. Recently, puberty begins earlier than half a century ago, and today there are many cases when the first periods come at 8 and 9 years old. The average age at the beginning of puberty in girls is 10-12 years. From this age to 20 years, the girl is considered conditionally fertile. Ovulation occurs infrequently, not systematically, the menstrual cycle itself does not differ in regularity, hormonal background is not fully settled. With all this, the probability of pregnancy is very high, but the probability of successfully carrying out the child and giving birth to him is low. Without complications in the early fertile period of pregnancy almost does not happen.

• Mean fertile period - starts from 20 years and lasts until the woman reaches the age of 35. WHO's latest recommendation is to extend the period to 40 years. Ovulation in women occurs regularly, the hormonal background is relatively stable, the woman’s state of health is satisfactory, there are usually no chronic illnesses, and therefore the probability of conception and successful childbearing is as high as possible. After 35 years, a gradual increase in anovulatory cycles begins, and therefore the probability of pregnancy in one cycle starts to decrease statistically. It is for this period that it is recommended to plan childbearing.

• Late reproductive period - begins at age 40 and ends at age 45. Ovulation occurs quite regularly in many, although the total number of anovulatory cycles is already high, menstruation is regular, monthly, but in the ratio of sex hormones, invisible changes begin to occur, and the reproductive system starts premenopausal restructuring. The probability of pregnancy is still there, and the opportunity to bear and give birth to a child is also quite real, but the chances are already significantly lower, and therefore at this age hormonal support for pregnancy should be provided to pregnant women, a special approach is also required for delivery tactics.

• Period of decline in fertility, attenuation - after 45 years and conditionally up to 58-60 years, a woman has a menopause. Someone earlier, someone later. It largely depends on heredity, on health status, on living conditions and even on race.Even if the menstrual periods are preserved, hormonal background makes it almost impossible to conceive and carry a baby. And if pregnancy occurs, then she necessarily needs the support of hormonal drugs.

And if in the average reproductive period a woman needs only to be examined for an infection before conceiving a baby, then in the late period hormonal stimulation of ovulation, IVF may already be required, and in the dying fertile period, donation of eggs, surrogacy. Taking into account the fact that assisted reproductive technologies are quite well developed and continue to improve, the age of reproduction for women is growing. Fifty years ago, people left him at the age of 40-45. Today, medicine can help women over this age to gain the joy of motherhood.

Prolongation of the reproductive age has nothing to do with the problem of prolonging youth, and therefore one should not think that the elimination of wrinkles and SPA procedures can somehow affect the body clock of a particular lady. The duration of the fertile period of a woman is largely influenced by her race and heredity. It is proved that women whose mothers entered the menopausal period late also retain the ability to bear children longerwhereas ladies whose mothers and grandmothers were faced with early menopause, after 40-45 years, the risk of joining the ranks of women who have left the fertile period.

It is clear that a woman cannot influence these factors. But fertility is influenced not only by nationality and heredity. And because a woman can well prevent and reduce other negative factors of influence.

For longer preservation of fertile capacity, the following is recommended.

• Get rid and avoid bad habits - both smoking and drinking alcohol (in any quantities) adversely affect the state of the blood vessels, and therefore the blood supply to the sex glands is insufficient, which leads to an early cessation of their normal functioning.

• Live active and follow weight - low mobility and extra pounds lead to an early hormonal imbalance, which certainly affects the ovulation processes. The higher the weight, the harder it is to conceive a baby even at 25-30 years of age, whereas for women with normal weight, the chances of conceiving are always higher after 35 years.

• Avoid chronic stress and be able to get rid of nervous tension. - due to the influence of psychogenic factors, even young women suffer from idiopathic infertility, it accounts for about 15% of all cases. Such problems are very difficult to treat. If a woman monitors the state of her emotional and psychological sphere, then her fertile abilities remain high for longer.

• Follow a measured lifestyle, be sure to get enough sleepPaying attention to a sufficiently long night’s sleep, do not starve, do not harass yourself with diets, but do not overeat too.

• Visiting a gynecologist is not only then, there is an urgent need for this., and for prophylactic purposes at least once a year, and after 35 years - 2 times a year. The doctor will be able to notice the first signs of various pathologies and disorders at the earliest stage, and the sooner a woman treats illnesses, the longer she will be able to conceive and bear children.

Women who want to stay longer at reproductive age should avoid working in hazardous industries, contact with toxic and toxic substances, long-term work at night, and activities in conditions of increased radiation levels.