What is Your “Real” Reproductive Age?

Women before 2001 did not have the clinical guidelines of the life span of their reproductive fertility. In response to this lack of information, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the National Institutes for Health, the North American Menopause Society and other organizations worked and brought their knowledge together to come up STRAW, or the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop.

STRAW gives a woman a rough outline of her reproductive age based on the biological characteristics such as menstrual patterns of that particular stage instead of the range of a certain hormone or the age of the woman. Yet again, these guidelines are not rigid structure since every woman is unique. While most go through the stages one after the next, there are those whose transitions are not as smooth swinging between stages or even skipping one.

Early Reproductive Stage: Puberty to age 20
After the first menstrual period, your cycle takes several years to get into the 28-day to 31-day pattern that will be distinctive of the majority of your reproductive years. Hormones may not be in levels good enough to bring on ovulation so that women at this stage are slightly less fertile. Nonetheless, less fertile does not mean you cannot get pregnant. A menstruating woman can get pregnant, whatever point she may be in the reproductive stages, and the number of teenage mothers can certainly give you proof.

Middle Reproductive Stage: Ages 20 to 38
Most women at this stage are at their most fertile, with a regular menstrual cycle. This is also the longest period and can be broken down into three phases. The initial seven years are known to be the peak fertility period, the next three years or so indicates the first decline in your fertility, and the remaining years are the second fertility decline.

Late Reproductive Stage: Ages 30 to 42
The body may produce less estrogen and you can become more sensitive to temperature as well as experience hot flashes. You will also have the tendency to experience mood swings and PMS when expecting your period. The low levels of estrogen affect the physiological characteristics of the vagina, such as its elasticity and acidity.

Early Perimenopausal Stage: Ages 42 to 46
Hormones are not produced in the same levels as they are used to: your FSH has doubled, estrogen is still declining, and progesterone levels are also dropping. These results to having less uterine lining to shed so that instead of the regular 28 to 31 cycle that you have, it may shorten to 24 to 27 days. Your periods may also be lighter or heavier that they were before.

Late Perimenopausal Stage: Ages 46 to 50
Hormonal changes makes ovulation irregular and it only follows that you may experience skipped periods more often. Women who become pregnant at age 45 or older end in miscarriage.

Menopause and Postmenopausal Stage: Age 50 and older
The FSH levels will now reach their peak and estrogen production will considerably decrease. Once you have not had your period for a year, it means you are officially in menopause and no more unexpected periods.
It helps to know which reproductive age you are so that any plans to get pregnant have the positive result you want. This will also help in family planning and prevent unplanned conception.

For more information, check out the book Stay Fertile Longer: Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant Now — Or Whenever You’re Ready. Once you’ve delivered, learn about Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pumps and others at http://doublebreastpump.org/