Your Odds of Getting Pregnant at Every Age

For many people, the basics of conception and the odds of getting pregnant at different ages are huge question marks. So, let's start with the basics: If you have ovaries, you were born with 1 to 2 million eggs, and these are all the eggs you'll have in your lifetime. By your first period, you'll have between 300,000 to 500,000 eggs. Then by 37, that number goes down to 25,000, before dwindling to 1,000 by menopause.

"If someone ovulates 500 times between the ages of 12 and 52, and if not all of those eggs are considered to be healthy, what you're left with is a select few eggs that are truly viable for pregnancy," says Alan Copperman, MD, director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York and co-director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Making matters a bit more complicated is the fact that human reproduction isn't all that efficient. There are only about six days each cycle during which your odds of getting pregnant are favorable. So, it helps to know your odds of conception at every age to make informed decisions for family planning. Read on for everything you need to know about your chances of getting pregnant in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond, plus ways to increase your pregnancy odds at any age.

Odds of Getting Pregnant by Age at a Glance

While there are a number of factors beyond age that impact a person's odds of conception each cycle, research shows that the chances of getting pregnant overall with age. Here's how that breaks down for people with ovaries.

The numbers may not look that great, but the odds increase across the board when you factor in time. The statistics for conception within six or 12 months of actively trying paint a more well-rounded picture. For example, one study of natural pregnancy rates in people of different ages found the following odds.

Chances of Getting Pregnant in Your Early 20s (20 to 24)

Dr. Copperman says that when a person is 21 years old, 90% of their eggs are chromosomally normal, which helps their chances of conceiving a healthy baby. You also have age on your side. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), fertility peaks for people with ovaries in the decade between their late teens and late twenties.

People in their twenties have about a 25% chance of getting pregnant in a single menstrual cycle, according to ACOG. Most healthy people trying to conceive in their twenties get pregnant within a year. So if you're trying to conceive in your twenties and you haven't gotten pregnant within that timeframe, you should consider a fertility evaluation.

Chances of Getting Pregnant in Your Mid-Late 20s (25 to 29)

In your mid to late twenties, you are still within your most fertile time when it comes to age. Not only is the chance of getting pregnant in your favor, but your chances of miscarriage may be the lowest they will ever be. A 2019 study in the BMJ that evaluated nearly half a million pregnancies found that people aged 25 to 29 had the lowest miscarriage rate at just 10%.

So, as long as you're timing sex with your fertile window each cycle, keep doing what you've been doing and you'll likely be pregnant within a year. At this age, there's usually no need to consult a fertility specialist until you've been actively trying for more than 12 months without success.

Chances of Getting Pregnant in Your Early 30s (30 to 34)

The odds of getting pregnant in your early thirties are still high for couples that actively try for a full year. The only major change is that your chances of miscarriage begin to rise by age 30, but they don't drastically change until you're closer to 35.

Conventional wisdom says that you don't need to seek fertility treatment in your early thirties until you've been trying for a year with no luck. However, some doctors recommend consulting an OB-GYN or primary care physician if you aren't pregnant after nine months of trying: "That way, they can pinpoint any problems and treat them before your fertility starts to decline more rapidly after 35," Dr. Copperman says.

Chances of Getting Pregnant in Your Mid-Late 30s (35 to 39)

"You still have a good outlook for getting pregnant in this window, particularly before age 37," says Kelly Pagidas, MD, a fertility specialist and associate dean of medical education at LSU Health Shreveport in Shreveport, Louisiana. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 people aged 30 to 39 have difficulty conceiving their first child compared to 1 in 8 people under 30.

But 35 seems to be the point where fertility for people with ovaries begins to steadily decline. "The most common reason is reduced egg quality," Dr. Pagidas explains. "You may have plenty of eggs to work with, but they're likely to have more chromosomal defects that affect their viability."

Pregnancy after 35 is sometimes referred to as "geriatric pregnancy" or "pregnancy of advanced maternal age." Research has found that pregnancies that occur after age 35 are at greater risk of:

• Miscarriage
• Preterm labor
• Gestational diabetes
• Preeclampsia
• Stillbirth
• Chromosomal abnormalities
• Cesarean section birth

Roughly 30% of 35-year-olds who can get pregnant may take a year or more to conceive. But doctors don't want you to wait that long to find out if you're one of them. Time is of the essence at this age, and if you're having trouble conceiving after trying for six months, you should see a health care provider right away to undergo some testing.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a less invasive assisted reproductive technology that may work at this age, especially in cases of sperm abnormalities. But IVF may also be a solid treatment option if you're having trouble conceiving the "old-fashioned" way.

Chances of Getting Pregnant in Your Early 40s (40 to 44)

According to the CDC, 30% of people assigned female at birth between the ages of 40 and 44 experience infertility. Your chances of conceiving in any given cycle also decrease because egg quality and quantity both decrease with advancing age. In fact, a 40-year-old only has a 5% to 10% chance of getting pregnant each month.

At this stage, you're also facing a few challenges that may make your chances of getting and staying pregnant more difficult. Dr. Copperman says that by the time you're in your 40s, about 90% of your eggs are chromosomally abnormal. Assistance from reproductive technologies becomes more common at this time, and not just because of egg issues.

There may be more issues with the partner's sperm as well, and some people report increased uterine lining issues with age. The uterine lining thins and the blood supply to it decreases with age, making it more difficult for the egg to implant.

ACOG and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommend immediate fertility evaluation and treatment, if necessary, for those hoping to get pregnant over 40. Research has found that for those over 40, conservative treatment with IUI carries a low success rate, and the best option is IVF.

Chances of Getting Pregnant at 45 and Older

Your chance of getting pregnant naturally after 45 is unlikely. That's not to say it's impossible, but assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are almost always necessary, with IVF being the most common.

"The few eggs you have left may have chromosomal abnormalities, so screening before IVF is critical," says Dr. Copperman. Some research has found that success rates are only slightly over 1%, and most clinics recommend using eggs donated by someone younger for those who want to conceive between ages 46 and 50.

Dr. Bayer says that with a donor egg, it's fairly easy for a healthy person in their forties to achieve and sustain a pregnancy if the egg is from a healthy 25- or 30-year-old. That said, even with ART, success rates decline as a person ages.

For example, a 2012 study that evaluated outcomes of an egg donor program found that even with donors aged 21 to 31, pregnancy and implantation rates were lower for recipients over 40 and became significantly lower for those over 45. Researchers believe the declined success rates were due to endometrial (uterine lining) thickness, which could be thinner in those nearing or in menopause.

How To Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant at Any Age

Regardless of age, you can maximize your chances of getting pregnant by determining exactly when you ovulate and having baby-making sex in the five days before expected ovulation and for one day after. "You'll know you're nearing ovulation when you start producing clear, slippery cervical mucus, which starts one to four days before egg release," says Dr. Bayer.

If your periods are regular and commonly occur around the same cycle day, you can use an ovulation calculator like the one below to help identify when you're likely to be ovulating.

Some other ovulation signs to watch for include:

• Increased production of clear, slippery, and stretchy cervical mucus
• Ovulation pain
• Increased basal body temperature
• Breast tenderness

Another good tool for timing sex is an ovulation predictor kit (OPK). "When it shows you're getting ready to ovulate, have intercourse over the next two days to catch the fertile window. You have 24 to 36 hours to have sex to make it in the optimal window," explains Dr. Bayer.

Additional reporting by Rachel Gurevich, RN