There's no "perfect" time to start a family, but right now may be a better time than you think. Need proof? Here are nine reasons, highlighting just some of the changes in medicine, technology and society that make today a great time to start a family.

In the past, women who had difficulties conceiving had no recourse but to accept their fate. Today, however, it's a different story.

"In vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates have doubled during the past 10 years, giving new hope to couples who previously would have never conceived," says Dr. Mark P. Leondires, a leading authority on reproductive medicine and the medical director and lead physician with the Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine in Norwalk, Conn. "In addition, the in vitro technique of intracytoplasmic sperm injection has allowed many couples with severe male factor infertility to conceive. These couples never would have had a chance 10 years ago."

And only a few years ago, practices such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, which allows screening for chromosomal defects, were not available. "This has been helpful in patients with genetic diseases, recurrent pregnancy loss and women with repetitive IVF failures," he says. "This treatment is in the process of transforming our field."

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