The Global Story Are you ever too old to have a baby?
Dec 25, 2024
Stephanie Hegarty, BBC's population correspondent, and Joyce Harper, a reproductive science expert from University College London, dive into the complexities of delayed motherhood. They discuss the rising trend of women choosing to have children later and the cultural pressures around this choice. Personal stories illuminate the scrutiny older mothers face, while Joyce highlights fertility challenges after 35. The conversation also touches on UK youth's anxieties regarding parenthood and explores emotional struggles linked to family planning decisions.
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Older Mothers' Experiences
- Katya Adler, Stephanie Hegarty, and Joyce Harper share their experiences as older mothers.
- Adler had her first child at 36, her third at 42, and was called a "geriatric mum."
Geriatric Mother Term
- The term "geriatric mother" is outdated due to changing societal norms and increasing maternal age.
- It reflects previous generations' younger childbirth age.
Rising Maternal Age
- The average age for first-time mothers globally is 28, up from 22 sixty years ago in wealthy nations.
- Data from less wealthy countries is patchy due to a lack of age-related questions in surveys.