How does age affect a woman's ability to have children? Many women are waiting until their 30s and 40s to have children. In fact, about 20 percent of women in India now have their first child after age 35. So age is a growing cause of fertility problems. About one-third of couples in which the woman is over 35 have fertility problems. Aging decreases a woman's chances of having a baby in the following ways: Her ovaries become less able to release eggs She has a smaller number of eggs left Her eggs are not as healthy She is more likely to have health conditions that can cause fertility problems She is more likely to have a miscarriage. Best Fertility Center, Advanced Fertility Care Center, Ashwini Hospital Moondrumavadi Madurai.