With new research highlighting that more New Zealanders are ending up unintentionally childless because they are focusing on their careers and leaving children until it's too late, we invited fertility expert Dr John Peek to talk about trying for a baby later in life.
The research shows that the proportion of women who ended up childless at ages 50-54 has jumped from under 10 per cent in 1996 to 15 per cent in the last Census in 2013. And the childless rate was highest for professional women, at just over 16 per cent, compared with 12 per cent for female labourers.
READ: The rise of childless couples - are Kiwis leaving it too late?
Dr Peek, who is the Group Operations Manager for the Fertility Associates clinics, and also oversees science, research and development, answered questions about when to start planning for a baby, factors affecting fertility and costs of fertility treatments.
