Age and Fertility
The biology of age and fertility.
Female fertility starts to gradually decline from the late 20s, becomes more noticeable through the mid-30s, and accelerates after 38. This is not a cliff. Many women conceive naturally well into their 40s. But the statistical averages do shift.
Male fertility also declines with age, though more gradually. Sperm DNA integrity changes from the 40s onwards, with implications for time to conception and miscarriage rates.
What is actually happening
For women, the key factors are:
- Egg quantity. Every woman is born with her lifetime supply of follicles. The number decreases steadily through life.
- Egg quality. The percentage of eggs with normal chromosome counts decreases with age. This is the biggest single factor in age-related fertility decline.
- Hormonal landscape. FSH and LH levels shift. Ovulation patterns can become less regular.
What you can influence
You cannot reverse age. But nutrition during the 90-day preconception window can support the quality of the eggs you do have.
The research-backed nutrients here include CoQ10 for mitochondrial energy, antioxidants for cellular protection, and the methylated B vitamins for cell division. This is exactly what Fertility Advance was built for.