What's age got to do with it?

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Can you guess who is mum to the baby? Image: Thinkstock

In your 20s, your body is in peak condition, so you're best placed to cope with the hard work of pregnancy and the extra load on muscles, back and bones.

More about Conception:

Topics:

Conception Fertility Fertility problems

How old you are has a big impact on your experience of pregnancy and motherhood. Here are the pros and cons of becoming a mum at different ages.

Sure, your tummy might snap back into shape after having a baby in your 20s, but paying the bills could be tough. In your 40s, you may find a newborn utterly exhausting, but your life experience makes it a breeze to deal with the emotional stresses of parenthood.

There are good and bad points to having a baby at different ages. If doctors had their way, most women would start having kids in their 20s, most fertile and the risks of things going wrong are lowest but women in their 30s and older usually have the benefits of financial and relationship security.

One thing's for sure: Australian mums are getting older. The rate of teen pregnancies is dropping, while the number of mums over 40s is on the rise. Here's a look at what to expect in pregnancy and motherhood at every age.

View related gallery: The fertility workout

Teens too young?
Coping with pregnancy and motherhood is hard work at any age, but for teen mums it can be toughest of all. In Australia, the rate of teen pregnancies is falling. In 2004 it was 16.3 babies per 1000 women, compared with 55.5 babies in 1971.

While teenagers' bodies are generally in good shape to deal with the rigours of carrying a baby, often the rest of their lives aren't. More than 60 percent of teenagers don't have a partner when they give birth.

Most haven't completed school, nor do they have stable employment. Teen mums have a surprisingly high rate of complications during the pregnancy and birth, like premature births and low birthweights, and that's usually associated with high rates of smoking and inadequate diet. They're also more likely to suffer postnatal depression than mums of other ages.

The majority of teen pregnancies aren't planned, but those teens trying to fall pregnant may have difficulties, as menstrual cycles are often irregular in the teenage years.

The secret to a successful teen pregnancy and happy mum is good antenatal care and family support after the birth.

The "golden age": 20s
Health experts reckon this is the ideal time for women to start having children. Medically, the whole run from conception to birth is most likely to be trouble-free. Women in their 20s usually fall pregnant within two months of trying. The risks of problems like miscarriage, Down syndrome or other chromosomal defects are all lower.

In your 20s, your body is in peak condition, so you're best placed to cope with the hard work of pregnancy and the extra load on muscles, back and bones. Your body hasn't gone through the wear and tear that will occur over the next 10 and 20 years.

While women in their 20s may not have huge savings or work experience behind them, there are other benefits. Chances are their parents are young, so it's more likely there'll be plenty of grandparents around to help out in the early days, too.

Getting tricky: 30s
After 30, things start to get difficult in terms of getting pregnant and having a smooth run through a pregnancy and birth.

On the whole, there's not a big difference medically between women in their late 20s and those in their early 30s, though fertility does start to steadily decline after you turn 30.

It's once you hit 35 the troubles can really start. From 35, women ovulate less frequently and the quality of their eggs isn't as good as those of younger women. About one third of all women over 35 have difficulties conceiving, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

The risks of all pregnancy-related problems, from diabetes to pre-eclampsia and low birth-weight, are increased. And there's a much higher chance of miscarriage: one Danish study reported that 20% of pregnant women aged 35 to 39 miscarried.

On the upside, you're emotionally and psychologically more ready than ever in your 30s to start a family. You're more likely to be in a stable relationship, you've had time to establish your career, travel and get your finances sorted. With so many women starting families in their 30s, you're more likely to have a good support network of friends going through the same things you are.

View related gallery: Celebrities that gave birth after 40

Help (sometimes) needed: 40+
Once you were considered a really old mum if you started a family at 40 or older these days, it's Older and wiser almost common. More women than ever are delaying having children for a mix of reasons, including careers, the cost of real estate and finding the right partner. The number of births to women aged 35 to 49 has tripled since the 1970s.

While being a 40-something new mum is popular, it's still the riskiest age to be pregnant and give birth, not to mention fall pregnant in the first place. More than 50 percent of women 40 and older have difficulties conceiving and the risks of chromosomal abnormalities and miscarriage are increased. A pregnant woman in her 40s is three times more likely to develop diabetes during her pregnancy than a woman in her 20s.

Problems during the birth, like fetal distress, are also more common, which may help explain why first-time mums in their 40s have the highest caesarean rate, at 43 percent.

But aside from the medical risks, many of which can be safely managed with good antenatal care and screening, there are some real bonuses for older mums. By 40, you've probably achieved your career goals and are either happy to take a break and be a mum, or are in a good position to negotiate flexible working arrangements. You're most likely financially established and have the benefits of life experience to help deal with the turmoil of new parenthood.

Related article: One in three mums (all ages) believe their husbands no longer find them attractive

Related Video below:

User comments

Hi, I am a member at Curve gym, and I am doing exercise 4 days in a I am 34 yrs right now. Is that ok to do exercise while trying to conceive baby? Thanks for your help in advance. Thanks, Mina Editor's note: The benefits of exercise and keeping to a healthy weight while trying to conceive are widely reported on. For more information, see the Conception section on this website. Best of luck!

I think it is really important to remember RISK is NOT DESTINY. Whether or not you will have problems conceiving or in labour or raising a child is not something you can predict. Everyone is an individual. I know people who have had horrid pregnancies and labours in their 20's and quite a few older mums in their late 30's and early 40's for whom the whole journey was quite simple. I had a child at 38, no pregnancy complications at all, a 2 hour labour and no problems whatsoever. My sister had a child in her 20's, got pre-eclampsia, had a preemie 8 weeks early, and nearly died herself. And yet the "risks' put me in the higher category.

My first husband died before we had a chance to have children and it took several years before I was ready and able to find a new relationship. I had my children at 41 and 44. Both times we concieved easily and had no complications during pregnancy. Both of my children were born naturally following short and easy labours. I realise that I have been very lucky to be able to do this in my 40's. I have friends who also had children in their late 30s and 40s because they just didn't find the right parner until then. Noone should condemn a woman for having children late in life because circumstances may have prevented her from having children earlier.

I am in my mid 20's and currently have a 1yr old little girl. My pregnancy was easy and the labour went through so quickly. I was prpared and willing to have my little girl. She is in great shape an I lov to run around with her and play with her. The same with my husband who is nine years older than I am. Although we are not as financially stable as we would hope that we were, we stil gett lot of support from grandparents. Living over seas from my family can make things a little more stressfull. However, seeing old school aquaintances who have children a litt older than of my daughter, it dissapoints me to see that they stilgo out drinking and clubbing almost every weekend. One downfall of the age. They still want to party. However I do have a couple of friends here who also have children, one in her mid 30's (2yr child) and another in her 40's (1yr child). I see how excausted they get, and because they are so exausted, their children are not discilined properly and misbehaving.

Aussie Heart i'm 34 my partner is 40 and my mother (1year), mother in law (3 years)& father in law (20 years)are all dead so our children will not have grandparents as i have little to do with my father. If i had my kids 5 or 10 years ago they may have had a few years with their grandmothers but my niece had 6 years with her grandmother and doesn't remember her. As sad as i am about them not having the same grandparent experience as i grew up with there is nothing I can do about it. My kids will have plenty of love and support from all our other family members and friends. As the saying goes 'it takes a village' wether you have your children early or late in life they get knowledge and experiences from man people that come into their lives. It's just a shame that so many people think they have a right to say wether or not people should be allowed to experience the joy of making a family. So i say age is irrelevant family is family no matter the age.

I realise that there are less risks having children at a young age but it doesnt mean that it is easier or harder through your pregnancy. I was 20 years old when i fell pregnant and i had a horrible pregnancy and horrible labour. 12 months later and still when i look at photos of me and my baby in hospital i still cry from the pain and how traumatic it was throughout it all including up to 3 weeks after the birth.

Funny how women (like Jo NSW) say that any woman over 40 who has a child is "selfish". And listen to Mother Nature blah blah. I suppose you think every woman who has had a child by IVF is selfish and unfair - that would be literally millions of mothers Worldwide. Wake up to yourself and the fact that science is going to produce babies for women in their 50's and 60's because we are living longer so you had better get used to the wrinklies and their babies. By the way, if I wanted any advise about babies, kids & teens I would rather listen to Jo Frost - she has no kids but is far, far, far superior in her knowledge and methods than any mother.

I am 43 yrs old and never been married. My partner of 4 years and I are extremely happy together. 5 months ago I fell pregnant to him naturally, my first one. My partner is 45. We are so excited to share our life now with a little protogege of the two of us. We are now talking about getting married for the responsiblity as parents and to ensure a secure environment for our child. I didnt even take a vitamin prior to conception. It just shows it can happen at any age and all that is important is that you love and embrace the decision to have a child. I think our child will keep us young at heart!

Seriously? Two words apply here, PERSONAL PREFERENCE. Women have the right to choose when they want to have children. I feel it is unfair for judgement to be laid upon women who decide they would rather have children later in life. I have friends who are young first time Mothers and some that are older first time Mothers and their children are happy and healthy, because they are great Mother's and age does not dictate this. There is scientific proof that there could be medical complications for older first time Mothers, but what about about how you raise a child? Can you provide love and support for your child? Since when does age dictate how much you can love? I am 27 and I don't plan on having children until my 30's, this is my personal preference, does that make me a selfish person? Medically speaking these articles are helpful, but the negative comments about older first time Mothers are not. Everyone is free to make their own choice.

OK... So starting a family later in life has become popular... for whatever reason. So, supposing at 45 you had your first child, and then your daughter had her first child at the same age. That would mean that you would either be in a nursing home, or only had short time left. If this trend becomes the 'norm', we're denying young people the first hand wisdom, knowledge, fun, experiences and so on that you just can't get from a book or the internet... you need grandparents for that. I believe in gathering information, weighing up all the odds, and listening. Trends come and go, like opinions on circumcision, politics, imunisation, fashion and so on. Make informed decisions, and don't just follow the latest idea just because it's popular today... there is always a bigger picture.