Does age of puberty affect fertility later on?

[CuppaTeaJanice]

Stories come up in the media from time to time about fertility declining when a woman is in her mid thirties.

However, a 35 year old woman could have been menstruating for anything between 20 and 27 years - quite a big difference. If a woman started her periods young, will she have therefore 'used up' more of her eggs and be more likely to have fertility problems? Or as baby girls are born with all their eggs, does it have more to do with the length of time those eggs have been in existence, whether or not they have been released?

That's an interesting question. What age did you start? I was 13 and a half, which was normal-ish then, though quite late now. I guess you would have to compare girls who were born with the same number of eggs and there's no way of knowing that! But someone who's 35 like me, who started her periods at age 10, might have three years fewer eggs than I do. Maybe

Or does it generally depend on hereditary menopause. At what age did your mother's stop?

14 and a half, I was the last of my friends which I was delighted about!! No idea when my mothers stopped - later than mid forties, although she didn't manage to conceive a younger sibling for me (had me at 32).

I remember the nurse at school consoling my friend who started at 11ish, saying 'never mind, the earlier they start, the earlier they stop!'. Don't know if there's any truth in that though.

I was 10 when I started..... I now have 6 children, my youngest was born when I was 39 and he was conceived pretty easily. At 41 now, DH and I are dabbling - or rather, not trying to avoid, but no BFP so far.

Interesting question though. My mum had a hysterectomy just before she was 50 and she was still having regular periods, she started at age 11 and my youngest sibling was born when she was 35

But it isn't that you use eggs up, it's that their quality deteriorates with age. Isn't it? And since you are born with all your eggs, the age of the egg remains the same regardless of puberty. No?

Anyway, my mum started at 13, had 3 kids in her 30s & went through menopause at 50 something.

They used to say that a woman was born with 300 eggs - but now scientists are suggesting that actually we can (and do) produce more because it simply doesn't add up for the number of years for which we menstruate.

I started my periods on my 12th birthday and had my first (and planned) baby at 36. So that would've been my ~260th egg assuming I never released more than one at a time. I do not expect to "run out" and go through the menopause before my 40th birthday!

I know my mum had her first period at 10 and her last at 58 so I think it is an individual thing.