Womens Health

Too Old to be a New Mother?

Women on average are waiting longer than ever before to have children. With that said, the average age of new mothers is still far from what anyone would consider “old”. 26 or so seems to be about the age women want to start having kids these days, whereas 30 years ago it was closer to 22. Some blame the economy, and others attribute this to changing social norms. No matter how we look at it, the average first-time mom is age-appropriate to run for congress.

new mother

This brings up the question: is there such a thing as being too old to be a new mother in today’s world? Are women who decide to postpone pregnancy taking the risk that they may never get to experience the world through the eyes of a parent?

Clearly there are biological limitations to a woman’s ability to have a baby. The onset of menopause signals the end of a woman’s reproductive capacity. Women respond to these changes in their own unique ways.

Some are indifferent, others wish it would have happened sooner, while others, even those with children already, can’t help but feel sorrow. These and many other reactions are completely normal, and so is constantly changing perspective on the matter. It’s the end to a biological routine that was happening for years, which, to say the least, is a big change.

Yet menopause is not the killer of motherly hopes and dreams like many would think. There are ways to become a parent besides natural childbirth, such as seeking surrogacy. For menopausal women, this requires a little premeditation in the form of having viable eggs frozen for a later date. However, if successfully planned out, couples otherwise too old to start having children can seek an agency to help get them in touch with a potential surrogate. It’s in many ways a fascinating and vastly rewarding experience for everybody involved.

Many women these days are treating their mid-30s as a self-imposed cut-off limit for having a child of their own. This is due to the link between Down Syndrome and mothers being older than 35 at the time of pregnancy. It’s an understandable position to take when all the factors are weighed together. With that said women ought to keep in mind that on the whole, far more babies born with Down Syndrome have mothers under the age of 35 despite the aforementioned correlation. This is due to the simple fact that there are far more women out there under 35 having babies than there are older.

The bottom line is that there is no such thing as being too old to be a new mother. Financial stress for the duration of young adulthood, worries regarding the well-being of the baby, and menopause are no obstacle to eventually becoming a caring, loving mother. This is thanks in part to alternatives such as surrogacy. Ultimately though it’s owed to the motherly spirit within, which never grows out of the desire to protect, teach, and love a child.