What increases a woman's risk of Infertility?.

Female fertility is known to decline with Age. More women are waiting until their 30s and 40s to have children. In fact, about 20% of women in the United States now have their first child after age 35. About one-third of couples in which the woman is older than 35 years have fertility problems. Aging not only decreases a woman’s chances of having a baby, but also increases her chances of miscarriageexternal icon and of having a child with a genetic abnormality. Aging decreases a woman’s chances of having a baby in the following ways: She has a smaller number of eggs left. Her eggs are not as healthy. She is more likely to have health conditions that can cause fertility problems. She is more likely to have a miscarriage. Smoking. Excessive alcohol use. Extreme weight gain or loss. Excessive physical or emotional stress that results in amenorrhea (absent periods).