women told to get pregnant sooner !

[anya sizer]

Hi there just reading yet another report about women needing to get pregnant younger . A view held by proffesor Bill Ledger from sheffield university
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4112450.stm

The fear is that infertility is possibly set to rise to 1 in 3 ( currently around 1 in 6 or 7 ) in the next few years .
What do people think about this ? I always feel mixed as although scientifically and rationally true ,I worry that it can put a lot of stress on women and indeed on their relationships in early thirties .
Anyone else feeling the pressure ...?!

[Hilary Lewin]

I too have mixed feelings about this topic. As a woman who had her children aged 23 and 25 I am that younger mother and feel blessed that I have had that experience.

HOWEVER women have ALWAYS had babies in their late 30's and into their 40's. There is nothing unusual about getting pregnant later in life the only new factor is that it may be a woman's first child. There is masses to be done to support fertility into our 40's and we can improve our chances dramatically by diet etc.

To protect our fertility we need more education on the harm of binge drinking and extreme dieting in our youth. If our young girls are educated better on these subjects they will be protecting themselves against ill health and possible fertility issues later in life.

Feeling too old for motherhood is the most pointless of worries , its the one factor we can't change! Stress is far more likely to cause problems and age related articles are not always helpful.