Statistically an increasing number of women are getting pregnant after age 35. In fact, the number of older mothers or as some doctors like to call it, mothers of an advanced maternal age, is increasing not only in the USA but in other countries as well.

Why More Women are Delaying Pregnancy

According to statistics, one in five women today delays pregnancy until after the age of 35. In fact, over the last 15 or so years there has been a whopping 50 percent increase in first births to women over 40 years old. The reasons for this are many.

Improvement in fertility treatments have made it possible for women to conceive and have a healthy, normal pregnancy and baby despite advancing age.

Between age 30-40 Your odds of conceiving are still high -- up to an 86 percent success rate for couples that try for a full year.

Between age 40-44 With advancing age, egg quality and quantity go down. At this stage, you're facing a few challenges that make it harder to conceive.

Women approaching menopause may also see their cycles shorten. (The onset of menopause is generally between ages 40 and 60.) 'That means as the cycle shortens, ovulation occurs earlier in the cycle, as soon as day nine,' Dr. Bayer explains. 'You need to make sure you adjust the timing of intercourse around ovulation accordingly.' The rule of thumb at this age for natural conception is to have sex every other day around the time of ovulation.

For women over the age of 40, conservative treatment with inseminations carries a low success rate. The best option is IVF.

All ages, listen up!

Regardless of your age, you can maximize your chances of conceiving each month by figuring out exactly when you ovulate. 'Ovulation generally occurs 14 days before your next period, no matter how long your cycle is,' says Dr. Bayer.

For instance, if you have a 34-day cycle, you ovulate around day 20; a woman with a 26-day cycle would ovulate on day 12. Whatever your date of ovulation, plan to have intercourse in the five days prior to that day and for two days after. 'You'll know you're nearing ovulation when you start producing clear, slippery cervical mucus which starts one to four days before egg release,' Dr. Bayer says. Another good predictor is ovulation kit. 'When it shows you're getting ready to ovulate, have intercourse over the next two days to catch the fertile window. You have 24 to 36 hours to have sex to make it in the optimal window,' Dr. Bayer explains.

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The biggest obstacle for women age 35 or older may be getting pregnant in the first place. Fertility rates begin to decline gradually at age 30, more so at 35, and markedly at age 40. Even with fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization, women have more difficulty getting pregnant as they age.

Women 45 and older rarely get pregnant, even with fertility treatment. Fertility specialists routinely recommend oocyte donation (IVF with eggs donated by a young egg donor) for these women because pregnancies with their own eggs are so rare.

Women also have more trouble staying pregnant as they get older: The rates of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy go up substantially with age.