There’s no need to rush into fatherhood, but men, just like women, shouldn’t wait too long to have a baby. Even though most men can have children well into their 50s, fertility becomes challenging after the age of 40. This is because ageing affects every cell in your body, including your sperm cells.
Your swimmers age too
As you grow older, your sperm quality decreases. Their morphology (size, shape and appearance) and motility (the ability of sperm to move towards an egg) deteriorate with age, and the volume of semen also begins to decline.
Research published in Fertility & Sterility found that between the ages of 30 and 50, the average man’s sperm declines by up to 30% in volume, swims up to 37% slower, and is five times more likely to be deformed. This can make it more difficult for sperm to fertilise an egg. The older you are, the longer it will take for you and your partner to conceive – no matter the woman’s age.
Your hormones may also be working against you. Around the age of 40, your testosterone levels may go down. Low testosterone can affect your ability to make sperm, and result in low sperm count. It can also reduce your libido and lead to infertility. Illnesses that cause infertility are also more common among older men. These include erectile dysfunction (the inability to achieve and maintain an erection), varicocele (the abnormal dilation of the testicular veins in the scrotum), and orchitis (inflammation of the testicles).
The risks
There’s also a high risk of not being able to conceive at all and miscarriage. The risk of miscarriage is twice as high for women whose male partner is over the age of 45 than for those whose partners are under 25, says the Infertility Awareness Association of South Africa (IFAASA).
Fertility is ageist. Older men typically have older partners. Female fertility starts to decline after the age of 30, and drops more sharply after the age of 35. The older your partner, the more difficult it may be to conceive.
Age also affects your chances of having a healthy child. Children of older fathers have a greater risk for mental health problems and autism spectrum disorders. According to statistics from IFAASA, children with fathers aged 40 or older are more than five times as likely to have an autism spectrum disorder than children fathered by men under 30. Down’s syndrome, schizophrenia, and Type 1 diabetes are other conditions that seem to be more common among babies with older fathers.
Keep your swimmers healthy
- Eat right. A diet high in fat and low in plants can shrink sperm count and quality. Fill up on antioxidant-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and wholegrains to improve the health of your sperm.
- Limit your drinks. Alcohol can harm your sperm and interfere with sperm production. Stick to two units of booze a day.
- Quit smoking. Tobacco reduces sperm count and motility. Nicotine can also negatively affect sperm morphology.
- Keep cool. Heat slows down sperm production and lowers sperm count. Avoid tight-fitting underwear and clothes, hot baths and using your laptop directly on your lap.
- Stop stressing. Too much stress can degrade and permanently damage your sperm. Protect your boys by finding healthy ways to deal with stress. Take a timeout, get enough sleep, or vent to someone.
Save your swimmers
If you are planning for children later in life, it may be a good idea to get your sperm frozen. This ensures that, even if your body changes, you have a few billion copies of your younger self, ready and waiting to reproduce. You can do this at places such as http://medfem.co.za/sperm-freezing-and-storage/ .
If you and your partner have been trying to have a baby for over a year, but haven’t been successful, see your doctor – especially if your partner is over 35 or either of you have a history of infertility. There may be a medical reason for your difficulty to conceive.