Mom not now, but is later too late?

New Delhi: Motherhood is regarded by many as one of life’s greatest joys. But why are many women leaving it for later?

Actress Susan Sarandon had a baby at 45 and singer Madonna at 41. Later-life childbirth now seems to be routine.

So is your biological clock ticking fast yet you are waiting for life to calm down?

“Before taking the big step, many people want to fulfill their own desires first. And especially a lot of women have career-oriented nowadays,” opines Lifestyle Management expert, Dr Rachna Singh.

A better health care, birth control medium, lenient adoption guidelines and advances in fertility treatments have worked together to create a rising tide of first-time parents who are in their mid 30s or beyond.

However, studies indicate that as women pass their conceiving age, they also increase their chances of encountering problems including the Down syndrome.

Apart from that, up to 25 per cent of couples in their late 30s and up to 50 per cent of couples in their 40s experience infertility.

“Their chance of getting pregnant comes down. They become sub fertile. The number of x chromosomes starts depleting as one ages. They also develop a thicker zone which is a covering, and as result natural conception rates come down,” says gynaecologist, Apollo Hospital, Dr Geeta Chadha.

Babies born to older mothers have a higher risk of death and are more likely to be born premature, underweight or have other birth-related problems compared to babies born to mothers in their early or mid 20s.

Once the child is born, physical challenges arise of keeping up with a toddler as older mothers may be going through menopause while taking care of an infant. And they don’t bounce back from sleep deprivation and stress like they did in when in their 20's.

And for many women caring for ageing parents and raising young children, the balancing act can be more than challenging.

Singh adds, “The reports show that post-delivery depression levels are extremely high.”

However, there are many advantages to having a baby later in life for both the mother and the baby.

Women who wait to conceive are often truly ready for a baby when the time comes. And older mothers tend to be more patient and mature as they are more settled and secure which actually are the actual qualities required for great parenting.

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