My husband and I have been trying to conceive for about six months with no luck. I'd heard that you should try for a year before seeing a doctor, but should I go sooner since we are a bit older? I'm 36 and my husband is 40.
It would be a good idea for you to talk to your doctor now, just to get expert personal advice. Infertility is defined as an inability to conceive after 12 months of regular intercourse without contraception. There is general agreement that failure to conceive by 12 months warrants evaluation. However, that doesn't mean one should wait 12 months before seeking medical advice. Many doctors advocate six months as an appropriate time for evaluation, and most would suggest this earlier evaluation in people your age.
The definition of infertility is based on studies showing that the rate of conception per attempted pregnancy per menstrual cycle drops off slowly—the longer you try only helps up to a point. The result is that about 72 percent of fertile couples will experience a pregnancy by six months. The number only rises to 85 percent by 12 months. While additional time can result in some small number of additional pregnancies, the plateau has been effectively reached by 12 months.
For women planning pregnancy, 35 is a number usually regarded as "older" (though to me you're still a kid). A woman aged 19 to 26 has a 50 percent chance of pregnancy with one try when intercourse occurs on the most fertile day of the cycle. In a woman aged 35, that number is down to 30 percent, and if the male partner is five years older, the rate drops to 15 percent. While most couples would not measure success by (or limit themselves to) one attempt, the risk of an inability to conceive at all without assisted reproductive technologies increases with age.
More importantly, every woman should get preconception counseling. So if you haven't already gone over the facts of pregnancy planning and preparation with your doctor, now is the time. This is especially important for women aged 35 and older, as the rate of genetic disorders in the fetus climbs steeply with age, though thankfully remains the exception. Complications for the mother are also more common with older age. For more information, including excellent patient education pamphlets, please visit the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
