09 Jul Advantages of being a mother after 40

By Reproclinic Editorial Committee

What are the advantages of being a mother after 40? Although experts say that the ideal age to have children is between 20 and 30 years, the average age at which women have their first baby is delayed more and more and is already above 30 years. Many women decide to delay motherhood at 40 due to the socioeconomic situation, the current pace of life and the difficulties in combining personal and professional life.

Until a few years ago, being a mother after 40 was very complicated, but thanks to advances in reproductive medicine, today it is possible to achieve a successful pregnancy at older ages. Being a mother after 40 requires more medical control to ensure the health of the mother and baby to avoid risks, but some studies show that it also has advantages.

Advantages of being a mother after 40

• Greater mental and emotional maturity in the parents. You are more prepared to face the challenge of fatherhood, compared to a younger woman or partner, due to the life experience you have acquired over the years. In addition, it is rare that the baby was the result of an unthought decision, so the woman or partner are prepared for this new stage and all the changes involved.
• Improves mental abilities. It increases mental acuity (associated with problem solving) and verbal abilities, due to the hormones involved in pregnancy. Progesterone and estrogens have very positive influences on the structure of the brain.
• Economic and professional stability. Starting at age 40, there is usually greater stability at the labor and economic levels since the woman and / or her partner usually have reached professional goals, so that a child will not be an obstacle in the career.
• Lengthen life According to a study by Harvard University, being a mother at a later age lengthens life.
• Economic benefits. According to another study in the United Kingdom, women workers save about $ 21,000 for each year that delays the decision to have children.
• Postpartum depression is less frequent in women over 40 years
• Good health with adequate medical control. The age of the mother does not negatively affect the health of the baby. The medical advances and the genetic tests allow a follow-up of the pregnancy to detect possible anomalies in the fetus. Moreover, some experts say that the risk of the baby suffering some diseases and being overweight in adulthood is reduced.

Examples of mothers over 40 years

If we travel back in time we will remember that some time ago women stayed at home and took care of the family. That is one of the reasons why women were mothers even before they were 30. With the progress and incorporation of women in the workplace, this changed, delaying the age of motherhood.

For this reason there are more and more women who fulfill their dream of motherhood after 40. In fact, there are many famous women who have become first-time mothers at 40:

• Kim Bassinger: the movie myth of the 80s was a mother for the first time at 43.
• Salma Hayek: at 41 she gave birth to her daughter. However, her husband had children from a previous marriage. So the actress was not a neophyte in motherhood.
• Geena Davis: the co-star of “Thelma and Louise” waited a little longer and had her first child at age 46, and at 48 she repeated the experience giving birth to twins.
• Halle Berry: we saw her look pregnant for the first time at age 41. And at 48, she repeated the experience and became a mother again.

There are also many familiar faces that have repeated the experience of motherhood past the 40s: Meryl Streep (42), Julianne Moore (42), Amanda Peer (42), Monica Bellucci (45) or Céline Dion (42). The latter conceived twins by In Vitro Fertilization.

Tips to be a mother after 40

As you can see, being a mother after 40 has many advantages and risks. As science progresses, a safe and healthy pregnancy can be completed, but without forgetting that every pregnancy after the age of 40 is considered high risk and must be subject to exhaustive control by physicians.

Natural pregnancies at this age are not impossible, but they are rare. If you are over 40, contact a professional to recommend the best method of assisted reproduction (artificial insemination, IVF, IVF with donor eggs, etc.). It is also advisable to use genetic tests in the embryo to ensure the quality of the embryo and minimize the possibility of suffering serious abnormalities.

If you are under 40 and want to delay motherhood, our advice is to vitrify your eggs before age 35. This will allow maintaining the quality of your eggs when you decide to be a mother.

Remember that at Reproclinic have everything you need to solve your doubts and help you take another step on your way towards motherhood.

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Medical Director at Reproclinic
Specialist in Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine