The Best Time to Get Pregnant

The best time for a woman to get pregnant is the time that is best for her. Most likely you have received a lot of advice over the years about the best time to get pregnant. Some people have told you that the best time to get pregnant is when you are young, because you have more energy during pregnancy and the labor is easier. Some people have told you that the best time to get pregnant is in your thirties, because you will already be established in your career and your relationship and will have more time and financial resources to be a good parent.



Unsolicited advice aside, the truth is that the best time to get pregnant is different for every woman. If you look around you, there are all different women in all different stages of life having babies. Some women have babies very early in life and are very good mothers. Some women have one child at age thirty-five and feel that that was exactly what they wanted. Some women do not want to have children of their own at all.



Pretty much the only factor that restricts you when choosing the best time to get pregnant is the biological limit set on your reproductive years. Unfortunately, even if you think the best time for you to get pregnant would be when you are seventy-five years old, this is unlikely to work out well for you. If this is your plan, plan instead to become a foster or adoptive parent at this age. Unless major medical advances are made between now and when you become a senior citizen, this is never going to be the best time to get pregnant!



Ideally, the best biological time to get pregnant is between twenty-five and thirty-five years of age. Studies show that women in this age group have the best chance of a healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. After age thirty-five and earlier than four years after the start of menstruation, the rate of complications goes up. If you are in your late thirties or early forties, your risk of complications and some birth defects is higher, but this does not mean that you cannot deliver a healthy baby. Plenty of women have delivered at this age.



If you feel that now is the best time for you to get pregnant, no matter what your age, see your doctor to ask for suggestions to optimize your chances for a successful, healthy pregnancy. Preparation, prenatal vitamins, and early obstetrical care can make the difference in your pregnancy. The best time to get pregnant is not universal, but rather, individual. Ask yourself, “when is my best time to get pregnant?” and then listen to your own answer!