Trying to get pregnant after 35? What you need to know

Yes, many women get pregnant naturally after 35.NICE figures show that around 82% of women aged 35 to 39 conceive within a year of trying, and 90% within two years. But your chance of getting pregnant each month falls more quickly from your mid-30s. So if you’re 36 or over, see your GP after six months of trying, and consider checking your fertility early.

Turning 35 can feel like a deadline, but your fertility doesn’t drop off overnight on your birthday. It does change, though, and knowing how can help you make the most of your time. This guide explains your chances of getting pregnant after 35, when to get help, the tests and treatments available, and how to look after yourself and your pregnancy.

Quick facts

• Around 82% of women aged 35 to 39 get pregnant within a year of trying, and 90% within two years.
• Your chance of getting pregnant each cycle is around 1 in 4 in your 20s and early 30s, falling to around 1 in 10 by 40.
• Fertility declines more quickly after 37, and more steeply after 40, as both the number and quality of eggs fall.
• If you’re 36 or over, see your GP after six months of trying rather than waiting a year.
• Fertility tests, such as AMH and an antral follicle count, show your ovarian reserve and help you decide how quickly to act.
• Most women who get pregnant after 35 have healthy pregnancies, with the right care.

Want to know where you stand? Hertility’s Advanced Hormone and Fertility Test checks your ovarian reserve and the hormones that affect your fertility from home. It comes with a doctor-written report and clear next steps.

Can you get pregnant naturally after 35?

Yes. Most women aged 35 to 39 can still get pregnant naturally, although it may take longer than in their 20s or early 30s, because the chance of conceiving each month is lower. Some women also conceive naturally in their early 40s.

Your age is only part of the picture, though. Some women have a lower ovarian reserve than average for their age. Conditions that can affect fertility, such as endometriosis, fibroids and blocked fallopian tubes, also become more common as you get older. Two women of the same age can have very different chances, so it’s worth understanding your own fertility rather than going by age alone.

What are your chances of getting pregnant after 35?

Most women aged 35 to 39 get pregnant within two years of trying. According to NICE, among women having regular unprotected sex:

• aged 35 to 39: around 82% get pregnant within a year, and 90% within two years
• aged 30 to 34, for comparison: around 86% get pregnant within a year, and 94% within two years

The bigger change is in your chance each month. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), around 1 in 4 women in their 20s and early 30s get pregnant in any one cycle. By 40, it’s around 1 in 10. ACOG also notes that fertility starts to decline gradually from around 32, then more quickly after 37.

What are the chances of getting pregnant at 40?

At 40, your chance of getting pregnant in any one cycle is around 1 in 10. It’s more likely to take longer to conceive, or to need fertility treatment. Many women still get pregnant in their early 40s, but fewer do so naturally than in their 30s. By the mid-40s, natural pregnancy becomes unlikely for most women.

If you’re 40 or over, it’s worth speaking to a GP or fertility specialist before you start trying, or as soon as you start.

Why does fertility decline after 35?

Fertility declines after 35 because you have fewer eggs, and more of them have chromosomal abnormalities. You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have, around 1 to 2 million, and estimates suggest this falls to around 25,000 by your late 30s.

• Fewer eggs. As your ovarian reserve falls, you have fewer chances to conceive each cycle. Fertility treatment is also likely to collect fewer eggs.
• Lower egg quality. Eggs with the wrong number of chromosomes are less likely to be fertilised or to develop into a healthy embryo. Research on IVF embryos shows that the share of embryos with chromosomal abnormalities rises steadily from the mid-30s. By the early 40s, it’s more than half.

This is why it can take longer to get pregnant as you get older, and why the risk of miscarriage rises. NHS figures put the chance of miscarriage at around 1 in 10 pregnancies for women under 30, up to 2 in 10 for women aged 35 to 39 and more than 5 in 10 for women over 45.

Your partner’s age matters too. Sperm quality declines with age, particularly from around 40 to 45. That can mean it takes longer to conceive, and it’s linked with a slightly higher risk of miscarriage.

Read more about how ageing affects fertility.

When should you get help if you’re trying to get pregnant over 35?

If you’re 36 or over, NHS guidance is to see your GP if you haven’t conceived after six months of regular unprotected sex. That’s sooner than the one year advised for younger women. It’s worth speaking to your GP or a fertility specialist before you start trying, or as soon as you start, if you:

• are 40 or over
• have irregular or absent periods
• have very painful or heavy periods
• have a condition that can affect fertility, such as PMOS, endometriosis or a thyroid problem
• have had pelvic infections, surgery or cancer treatment
• have had recurrent miscarriages

You don’t have to wait for NHS investigations to find out what’s going on. Hertility’s Advanced Hormone and Fertility Test checks your ovarian reserve and the hormones that affect your cycle from home, with a doctor-written report. If you need to look further, you can book a Pelvic Ultrasound Scan to check your womb and ovaries and count your follicles. A Private Gynaecologist Consultation can also look at your history in depth.

What fertility tests should you have after 35?

After 35, the most useful fertility tests are:

• an AMH blood test, which shows your ovarian reserve
• an antral follicle count (AFC), which counts your follicles on a scan. Together with AMH, it gives the clearest picture of your ovarian reserve. Read more about what an AFC scan is and what your result means.
• hormone blood tests, to check your cycle, ovulation and thyroid function
• a pelvic ultrasound scan, to check your womb and ovaries for fibroids, polyps or cysts
• a tubal test (if needed), to check whether your Fallopian Tubes are open
• a semen analysis for your partner

AMH and AFC show how many eggs you have, but not their quality, and they don’t predict whether you’ll conceive naturally. After 35, their real value is helping you decide how quickly to act and whether to consider treatment. Read our guide to female fertility tests.

Test with Hertility. You can start building your fertility picture with Hertility, without waiting lists or a GP referral. Hertility’s Advanced Hormone and Fertility Test checks your ovarian reserve and the hormones that affect your cycle from home, with a doctor-written report. If you need to look further, you can book a Pelvic Ultrasound Scan to check your womb and ovaries and count your follicles. A Private Gynaecologist Consultation can also look at your history in depth.

How can you improve your chances of getting pregnant after 35?

The most important steps are to get checked early, have regular sex, take folic acid and look after your general health.

Get checked early. After 35, a fertility assessment early on can save you valuable time, even if everything turns out to be fine.

Have regular sex.It is recommended to have sex every two to three days throughout your cycle. This covers your fertile window, the five days before ovulation and the day itself, without needing to time sex exactly. Sperm can survive for up to five days, but an egg only survives for around 12 to 24 hours after it’s released.

Check you’re ovulating. Periods can become less regular as you approach your 40s, and this can sometimes be an early sign of perimenopause. Tracking your cycle, or having a progesterone blood test, can show whether you’re ovulating. Read our guide on tracking your fertility at home.

Book a preconception check with your GP. High blood pressure, diabetes and thyroid problems become more common with age, and can affect both your fertility and your pregnancy. Your GP can check your general health. They can also review any medicines you take, check you’re up to date with vaccinations such as rubella, and talk about any conditions that run in your family.

Start taking supplements 

• Folic acid: take 400 micrograms every day from before you start trying until you’re 12 weeks pregnant. Some people need a higher 5mg dose, for example if they have a BMI of 30 or more or diabetes, and your GP can prescribe this.
• Vitamin D: the NHS also recommends a daily 10 microgram supplement, particularly in autumn and winter.
• Other supplements: most people don’t need iron or calcium supplements unless a blood test shows they’re low.
• Multivitamins: if you take one, choose one designed for pregnancy. Avoid supplements containing vitamin A (retinol), as too much can harm a developing baby.

Stop smoking and avoid alcohol. Smoking lowers fertility, and alcohol can affect your chances of conceiving and harm an early pregnancy. Read our guide on when to stop drinking when trying to get pregnant. If you need help to stop smoking, speak to your GP or local stop smoking service.

Keep caffeine in check. The NHS recommends no more than 200mg of caffeine a day in pregnancy, about two mugs of instant coffee. It’s sensible to stick to this while you’re trying.

Keep to a healthy weight. Being very overweight or underweight can make it harder to get pregnant. Being overweight also increases the risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure in pregnancy.

Stay active, but don’t overdo it. Regular, moderate exercise supports your general health and can help with stress. Very intense exercise can interfere with ovulation. If you’re not already active, start gently, for example with daily walks.

Eat a balanced diet. Base your meals on whole foods, such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, pulses and lean protein, with less salt, sugar and processed food.

Prioritise sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours a night. Poor sleep can affect your hormones, stress levels and overall health.

Check your work and home environment. If your job involves chemicals, radiation or heavy lifting, ask your employer or occupational health whether anything should change before or during pregnancy.

For more ideas, read our guide on how to boost your fertility naturally.

Does your partner’s health matter?

Yes. Fertility problems are just as likely to involve sperm as eggs. Sperm problems are involved in around half of cases of difficulty conceiving. So if you’re trying to get pregnant with a male partner, his health matters as much as yours.

Age. Sperm quality gradually declines with age, particularly from around 40 to 45. An older male partner can mean it takes longer to conceive, and is linked with a slightly higher risk of miscarriage.

Lifestyle. Sperm takes around three months to develop, so changes your partner makes now can affect the sperm he’ll produce when you’re trying. The NHS advises that he:

• stop smoking
• keep alcohol within the UK low-risk guidelines
• keep to a healthy weight
• eat a balanced diet
• avoid things that overheat the testicles, such as tight underwear and long hot baths

Testing. A semen analysis checks the number, movement and shape of sperm. Your partner can ask his GP for one, or book one privately. It’s a good idea to arrange it at the same time as your own tests, so neither of you waits for answers.

Will you need fertility treatment after 35?

Not necessarily. Many women aged 35 to 39 get pregnant without treatment, but you’re more likely to need help as you get older, especially after 40. Because time matters more after 35, it’s worth getting checked early if you’re not conceiving.

When are you more likely to need fertility treatment?

You may be more likely to need treatment if:

• you’re 36 or over and haven’t got pregnant after six months of trying
• you’re 40 or over
• your periods are irregular or absent, which can mean you’re not ovulating regularly
• you have a low ovarian reserve for your age, shown by a low AMH or antral follicle count
• you have a condition that can affect fertility, such as PMOS, endometriosis, fibroids or blocked fallopian tubes
• your partner has a low sperm count or other sperm problems
• you’ve had recurrent miscarriages

None of these means you’ll definitely need treatment. But they’re good reasons to speak to your GP or a fertility specialist sooner rather than later. Testing with Hertility’s Advanced Hormone and Fertility Test and a Pelvic Ultrasound Scan can help show whether anything is likely to make it harder to conceive.

What are your fertility treatment options after 35?

If you do need help, the main options are medication to help you ovulate, IUI, IVF and IVF with donor eggs. The right one depends on what’s making it harder to conceive, your age, your ovarian reserve and how long you’ve been trying. Because time matters more after 35, your doctor may suggest starting treatment sooner than they would for a younger woman.

Ovulation induction. If you’re not ovulating regularly, for example because of PMOS, medication such as letrozole can help trigger ovulation.

IUI (intrauterine insemination). Sperm is placed directly into your womb around the time you ovulate. It’s sometimes used if you’re using donor sperm, or if sex is difficult. It’s less commonly recommended after 35 than IVF, because success rates are lower.

IVF (in vitro fertilisation). Your ovaries are stimulated to produce several eggs, which are collected and fertilised in a lab. An embryo is then transferred to your womb. If sperm quality is low, a single sperm can be injected into each egg, which is called ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Any extra good-quality embryos can be frozen for future use. IVF success rates fall with age, and more steeply after 40, so if IVF is likely to be your best option, it’s worth not delaying. You can compare clinics’ success rates by age on the HFEA website. Find out more about IVF support with Hertility.

Donor eggs. If your own eggs are unlikely to lead to a pregnancy, IVF using eggs from a younger donor can significantly improve your chances. Success depends mainly on the age of the donor rather than your age.

NHS-funded treatment. What’s available depends on where you live. NICE guidance recommends one full cycle of IVF for women aged 40 to 42 in certain circumstances, for example if you’ve never had IVF before and there’s no evidence of low ovarian reserve. Local criteria may be stricter, so check with your GP.

A FertilityAdvisor Call can help you understand which option might suit you. We can also refer you to our network of trusted clinics.

Is pregnancy after 35 high risk?

Most women who get pregnant after 35 have healthy pregnancies and babies. But some risks do rise with age, so you may be offered extra checks or monitoring.

Miscarriage. The chance of miscarriage increases with age, mainly because more eggs have chromosomal abnormalities.

Chromosomal conditions. The chance of a baby having a condition such as Down’s syndrome rises with age. All pregnant women in England are offered screening for Down’s syndrome and other conditions. If screening shows a higher chance, you’ll be offered further tests.

Pregnancy complications. Some complications become more common with age, including:

• gestational diabetes
• pre-eclampsia
• placenta praevia
• a baby not growing as expected
• needing a caesarean
• Stillbirth
• Preterm birth

Extra care. Because of these risks, your midwife may recommend extra checks or monitoring. If you have other risk factors, such as being over 40 and pregnant for the first time, you may be advised to take low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks to lower your risk of pre-eclampsia.

Speak to your GP before you start trying if you have any health conditions. Tell your midwife about your medical history early in your pregnancy.

Looking after your emotional wellbeing

Trying to conceive after 35 can come with extra pressure, whether it’s worry about time, comments from others or the stress of tests and treatment. You’re not alone, and it’s okay to find it hard. Talking to your partner, friends or other people going through the same thing can help. If you’re struggling, one of our counsellors can offer support.

Ready to understand your fertility with Hertility?

After 35, the most useful thing you can do is understand your fertility early. That way you can decide whether to keep trying naturally, start treatment or consider egg freezing, with real information rather than guesswork.

Hertility brings the key tests and specialist support together in one place, with no GP referral or waiting list:

• Hertility’s Advanced Hormone and Fertility Test At Hertility, we believe every woman deserves access to the information, testing and care she needs to understand her hormonal health. If you’d like to take control of your reproductive health today, explore our hormone and fertility tests. 
• A Pelvic Ultrasound Scan counts your follicles and checks your womb and ovaries.
• A Fertility Advisor Call helps you understand your results and plan your next steps, whether that’s trying naturally, IVF or egg freezing.
• Counselling supports you if trying to conceive is taking its toll.

Not sure where to start? Take the Online Health Assessment and we’ll build a personalised plan around your goals.

References

1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Female age-related fertility decline. Committee Opinion No. 589. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2014;123(3):719–721. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2014/03/female-age-related-fertility-decline
2. American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ReproductiveFacts.org). Age and fertility. https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/fact-sheets-and-infographics/age-and-fertility/
3. Franasiak JM, Forman EJ, Hong KH, et al. The nature of aneuploidy with increasing age of the female partner: a review of 15,169 consecutive trophectoderm biopsies evaluated with comprehensive chromosomal screening. Fertility and Sterility. 2014;101(3):656–663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.11.004
4. Faddy MJ, Gosden RG, Gougeon A, Richardson SJ, Nelson JF. Accelerated disappearance of ovarian follicles in mid-life: implications for forecasting menopause. Human Reproduction. 1992;7(10):1342–1346. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a137570
5. NHS. How can I improve my chances of becoming a dad? https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/how-can-i-improve-my-chances-of-becoming-a-dad/
6. NHS. Infertility: causes. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/causes/
7. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Fertility problems: assessment and treatment (NG257). 2026. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng257
8. NHS. Miscarriage: causes. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/miscarriage/causes/
9. NHS. Infertility. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/
10. Steiner AZ, Pritchard D, Stanczyk FZ, et al. Association between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and infertility among older women of reproductive age. JAMA. 2017;318(14):1367–1376. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.14588
11. NHS. Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/
12. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Choose a fertility clinic. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/choose-a-clinic/
13. HFEA. Egg freezing. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/fertility-preservation/egg-freezing/
14. NHS. Screening for Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/your-pregnancy-care/screening-for-downs-edwards-pataus-syndrome/
15. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Induction of labour at term in older mothers (Scientific Impact Paper No. 34). https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/scientific-impact-papers/induction-of-labour-at-term-in-older-mothers-scientific-impact-paper-no-34/
16. NICE. Hypertension in pregnancy: diagnosis and management (NG133). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng133