TTC in Your 20s
What You Need to Know About TTC in Your 20s
If you’re in your 20s and are trying to conceive (TTC), chances are good that you’ll be able to get pregnant naturally. Women who are between the ages of 20 and 29 are considered to be at peak fertility. Women are born with all the eggs they will ovulate throughout their fertile years, and younger women typically have a plentiful and healthy egg supply. If you are TTC in your 20s, you have about a 33 percent chance of getting pregnant each month.
Our providers offer the following advice for young women who are ready to become mothers.
Seek pre-conception counseling. If you’re ready to go off of birth control to TTC in your 20s, it’s always a smart move to schedule a visit with your OBGYN to make sure your body is ready to proceed. Your physician will review your medical history, advise you of any risks you need to be aware of, and inform you about any lifestyle changes you may need to make to help you become pregnant and have a healthy baby.
Start taking prenatal vitamins. These special vitamins contain important nutrients to support fetal development and reduce the risk of certain birth defects. It’s wise to begin taking these vitamins at least a month before you start TTC in your 20s.
Get to know your cycle. One key to getting pregnant is to know when you ovulate. Ovulation predictor kits can be purchased at any drugstore. With regular use, you can find out which day of your menstrual cycle you are likely to ovulate, so you can make sure to have intercourse a day or two before.
Give it time. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of TTC, but it’s also important to be patient. It’s normal to see a few negative pregnancy tests along the way. In fact, it may take up to a year for a fertile woman in her 20s to get pregnant with regular, well-timed sex.
Find out if you need genetic testing. If genetic conditions run in your or your partner’s family, it’s very important to see a fertility specialist at Northeastern Reproductive Medicine before you start trying to conceive. We can assess your risk of passing on an inherited disease to your child, and have treatment options to reduce or eliminate the risk to your future children.
Get help if you need it. While infertility in younger women is rare, not all 20-somethings find that the path to parenthood is easy. If you don’t see a positive pregnancy test after 12 months of TTC, it’s time to see a fertility specialist. Women younger than 30 have about an 85% chance of getting pregnant within a year, but if you find yourself in the “other 15%” group, don’t wait to reach out for testing and support.
Fertility testing when you’re TTC in your 20s
If you need a little help getting pregnant in your 20s, we are here for you. When you schedule a fertility consultation with our experienced reproductive endocrinologists, we begin by taking a thorough medical history of you and your partner, including your experiences while TTC in your 20s.
Next, we will order a complete fertility evaluation for both partners, which will help to pinpoint any potential issues that could be interfering with your ability to conceive naturally. A variety of tests may be recommended, depending on your situation.
- Blood work to check hormone levels and ovarian reserve, or egg supply
- Pelvic ultrasound checking for any physical issues with the reproductive organs
- Semen analysis to evaluate the male partner’s semen volume, sperm count and concentration, motility (sperm movement), morphology (sperm shape), and other factors
- Sonohysterogram (SHG), a special test to check the fallopian tubes and uterine cavity
- Genetic carrier screening to evaluate your risk for passing on genetic disorders to future children
Depending on the results of these fertility tests, our team will create a personal treatment plan to help you achieve your family-building goals.
If you need help with TTC in your 20s, contact our experts
If you find yourself struggling to conceive in your 20s, try not to worry. The good news is that with the right treatment, your chances of having a baby are still high. Our experienced New England fertility doctors are happy to offer advice if you are TTC in your 20s, and stand ready to assist you with achieving pregnancy if you need us. Contact us to get started.