Being a woman in today’s modern world is not easy. Various challenges and obstacles must be faced. This includes the dilemma many modern women experience when choosing between building a career or a family. It can be quite difficult to balance responsibilities when first starting out in a career while at the same time fulfilling the role of a wife or mother. Because of this, many women have chosen to prioritise their careers first.
🦋 Quick answers
- Being a modern woman is challenging — balancing career and family.
- Delaying motherhood can negatively affect fertility.
- Women cannot escape their ‘biological clock’.
- Monthly natural conception chance declines with age (20s 20–25%, 45+ 1%).
- Plan carefully for the future — don’t delay too long.
Negative impact of infertility due to delaying becoming a mother
According to a study by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, from 1963 to 2014 the fertility rate among Malaysian couples has declined from 6.1 to 2.1. Although it has not yet reached the drastic levels seen in places like Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore, this decline will certainly have a profound impact in the future from both social and economic perspectives. One of the main factors identified to explain this situation is that many women are choosing to delay marriage in order to build their careers first. In addition, a significant number of women who are already married do not want to become pregnant immediately due to career commitments, financial instability, and the desire to purchase other necessities such as a house and a car.
Women cannot escape their ‘biological clock’
By nature, women have a ‘biological clock’. We cannot run away from this fact. Women are born with all the eggs in their ovaries. At birth, there are 1–2 million eggs in the ovaries, which will undergo a process called ‘atresia’, where the eggs shrink and are reabsorbed by the body. By puberty, only about 400,000 eggs remain. However, not all of these eggs will mature. In the end, only about 400 eggs will fully mature and be released through ovulation over a woman’s entire reproductive lifespan!
What are the chances of conceiving naturally each month according to a woman’s age?
| Woman’s age | Monthly natural conception chance |
|---|---|
| 20s | 20–25% |
| 30s | 15% |
| 35 and above | 10% |
| 40 and above | 5% |
| 45 and above | 1% |
Therefore, fertility problems will increase as a woman’s age increases. This is due to the decline in the quality and quantity of eggs in the ovaries. Infertility will result in more women requiring fertility treatment, which can be very costly.
Making careful plans for the future
Every woman needs to reflect and make decisions about the choices in her life. Sometimes we are not able to achieve everything at the same time. At times, sacrifices must be made first for what is considered most important. Women need to be aware that their fertility begins to decline from the early 30s and may drop more noticeably after the age of 35. Being both a mother and a career woman is not easy. Every woman has different desires and expectations. Not every woman will have a strong instinct to have children and become a mother. However, women need to plan carefully while they are still young so that they will not regret it later in life due to a lack of awareness about their ‘biological clock’.
Follow the next blog post:
Can women stop their ‘biological clock’?
Frequently asked questions
Why do modern women delay having children?
Various challenges of modern life — especially career focus — lead many women to delay marriage and pregnancy.
Can women escape their biological clock?
No. Women are born with all their eggs, and ovarian reserve declines with age, so fertility decreases as a woman gets older.
What are the monthly natural conception chances by age?
Around 20–25% in the 20s, 15% in the 30s, 10% at 35 and above, 5% at 40 and above, and 1% at 45 and above.
What is Dr Tasha’s advice?
Plan carefully for the future and avoid delaying pregnancy too long, as fertility declines with age.
Sources
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) — fertility and marriage statistics.
- NHS — Treatment for infertility
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