WHY IS IT HARDER TO GET PREGNANT AS WE GET OLDER?
Females are born with a certain number of eggs. As a woman ages, the number of eggs, as well as the quality of the eggs, declines. As a result, a woman over 35 years old has a lower chance of getting pregnant and a much higher chance of having a miscarriage or a baby with congenital problems (such as Down’s syndrome) than a younger woman does.

HOW CAN I TELL IF MY EGGS ARE A PROBLEM?
Age alone is a strong predictor of successful pregnancy. There are also blood tests that can help your doctor/nurse practitioner determine the level of your fertility. Two blood tests that are commonly done are called FSH and Estradiol. If the results of these blood tests are high, your chances of becoming pregnant and having a baby are decreased. Although your blood test results may change from month to month, the highest FSH and Estradiol results are used to predict your chances of success. If your blood test results are normal, your doctor may order a Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test (CCCT), that will involve drawing a blood sample before and after you take a fertility drug called Clomid ® . These blood tests will help your doctor tell if your ovaries are working properly. A poor result generally predicts a decreased chance of conceiving and successfully maintaining a pregnancy. Unfortunately, if blood tests indicate a diminished chance of conceiving, there are no drugs or treatment to help your own eggs. However, your doctor may prescribe fertility drugs if your test results are good. If you respond well to these drugs and/or if you are over age 38, your doctor may suggest moving quickly to an advanced fertility treatment called In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

WHEN SHOULD I WORRY?
If a female is younger than 35 and has not become pregnant after trying for one year, or if she is 35 years or older and has not become pregnant after trying for six months, she should call her doctor/nurse practitioner. An infertility care provider will then start testing for infertility.