Get sobering facts and figures about your fertility that’ll keep you motivated with all that baby making!
It’s a fact: More and more couples are delaying marriage. According to the Department of Statistics Singapore, in 2016, the highest number of marriages were among men aged 30 to 34, and 25 to 34 years for women. This delay in tying the knot means a lot more couples are becoming parents later in life.
While becoming a mother at a later age has its benefits, including enjoying a good career and better able to start a family financially, time is really of the essence when it comes to your fertility.
Indeed, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, may have made a good point when he noted, “I have always believed that it is good to start early.” He became a first-time grandfather at the age of 54 when his daughter, Natalie, gave birth to a baby boy on New Year’s Eve in 2015.
SmartParents expert Dr Christopher Chong, a Gleneagles Hospital ob-gyn, notes that the following risks increase with age:
* Subfertility, which means you’ll take longer to get pregnant.
* A longer labour because the muscles in your womb aren’t as strong.
* Miscarriage.
* Hypertension and gestational diabetes.
* Giving birth to a child with chromosomal or physical defects.
While women’s fertility issues often get the most attention, men aren’t spared either. Besides a low sperm count, the quality of their sperm starts to decline once he is 40 years or more. The speed at which his sperm moves also drops. Plus, he’s more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Here is how age can impact you and your spouse’s fertility…
Infographic: Rachel Lim
Main photo and illustrations: iStock
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