A woman’s fertility is closely linked to the number of eggs she is born with and how quickly she loses them over time. Here is what science says about this natural process.
At birth, a baby girl is born with about 1 to 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Interestingly, a female fetus actually has up to 6 million eggs while still in the womb, but many are lost before birth.
By the time a girl reaches puberty (around ages 12–13), the number of eggs drops to approximately 300,000 to 400,000. This happens through a natural process called atresia, where the body loses thousands of eggs every month during childhood.
During each menstrual cycle, around 1,000 eggs are lost. However, usually only one egg (sometimes two) fully matures and is released during ovulation. The remaining eggs are naturally reabsorbed by the body.
By age 40, most women have only about 25,000 eggs left. The number continues to decline sharply until menopause, when very few or no viable eggs remain.
This steady decline in both the quantity and quality of eggs is the main reason fertility decreases with age. That is why many experts recommend that women who want children should consider starting a family earlier rather than later for better chances of natural conception.
Have you learned anything new from this? Share your thoughts or questions about fertility in the comments below.
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