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What Are The Chances Of Conceiving With Male Partner Younger To Female?
Question: Hello. I am a 35 year old man (36 in August) and my girlfriend is 37 (38 in October). I am hoping to get married before the end of this year and begin trying to conceive a child in the new year (2015). By that time she will be 38 years and 3 mos. I have read a lot of statistics about probability of conceiving and I know that (assuming she is not infertile already) we have a decent chance (above 80%) of conceiving within one year. My question is, it seems that most statistics assume that the father is the same age as the mother or several years older. If am 2 years younger than her, does that improve our chances of conceiving? Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Two years younger is not much different.
Detailed Answer:
If you were much older that might decrease your chances of conception or at least of conceiving a child without a genetic abnormality. Fragile X is a genetic abnormality more common to older men. Aside from that I do not think male age will make much difference. Women are born with all of the eggs they will ever produce and fertility begins to falloff beginning in the late 20s. Men produce new sperm every 90 days.
All that said there are ways to support conception. I would recommend that if you and your loved one have not conceived after six months of regular cycles and midcycle conception attempts then I suggest consulting a reproductive endocrinologist promptly.
There is a chance you may not be successful. However there are other ways of course to start families. Donor egg programs have become relatively commonplace. With the donor egg your chance of conception becomes the same of that of the age of the donor woman. Sometimes a young female relative of the family member donates but more often it is done anonymously similar to how artificial insemination was carried out a generation ago. Usually the partner undergoes ovulation induction at the same time so that you're never entirely certain that she was not the contributing parent.
I wish you the family of your dreams and every happiness. It is well worth the effort and worth the wait.
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.
Two years younger is not much different.
Detailed Answer:
If you were much older that might decrease your chances of conception or at least of conceiving a child without a genetic abnormality. Fragile X is a genetic abnormality more common to older men. Aside from that I do not think male age will make much difference. Women are born with all of the eggs they will ever produce and fertility begins to falloff beginning in the late 20s. Men produce new sperm every 90 days.
All that said there are ways to support conception. I would recommend that if you and your loved one have not conceived after six months of regular cycles and midcycle conception attempts then I suggest consulting a reproductive endocrinologist promptly.
There is a chance you may not be successful. However there are other ways of course to start families. Donor egg programs have become relatively commonplace. With the donor egg your chance of conception becomes the same of that of the age of the donor woman. Sometimes a young female relative of the family member donates but more often it is done anonymously similar to how artificial insemination was carried out a generation ago. Usually the partner undergoes ovulation induction at the same time so that you're never entirely certain that she was not the contributing parent.
I wish you the family of your dreams and every happiness. It is well worth the effort and worth the wait.
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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