Waiting for Baby

You may know Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep as superstar actresses, but you might not know that they all had children after their 40th birthdays. Singer Janet Jackson had her first child at 50!

However, older mothers aren’t just a trend in Hollywood. The average age of first-time mothers is between 27 and 28, a record high for Americans. And according to the National Institutes of Health, 20% of women are waiting until after they’re 35 to be parents.

One reason the age of first-time moms is on the rise is that teen pregnancies are declining. However, people are also waiting until they pursue an education, find the right partner, establish a career and are financially stable.

While there’s no “right way” to start or grow a family, some people may be concerned with the health risks or difficulties of becoming pregnant after age 35. One reason is because fertility rates among women have declined 43% among women 20 to 24, and 67% among those 35 to 39.

In addition, fertility naturally decreases after age 30. Women have a limited number of eggs from birth, and after 30, the quality and quantity of those eggs decrease until menopause. However, fertility issues at any age are common, and more than 6 million women under 45 struggle to become pregnant.

If you’re 35 or older, and you’ve been trying at least six months with no success, your doctor may suggest you start with lifestyle interventions such as avoiding alcohol and smoking, eating healthily, reducing stress, maintaining a healthy weight or receiving treatments to balance hormones or enhance egg production.

Older women also have a higher risk of multiple births, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome and risk of miscarriage. However, your provider can screen for these risks, recommend ways to manage these conditions and closely monitor your baby’s development.

No matter when you decide is the right time to grow your family, it’s important to remember that every journey is unique. Whether you become a parent at 20 or 40, your doctor can help you navigate it and find ways to keep you and your baby healthy.

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