We’re constantly told we need to have children while our fertility is still at its peak, but there are lots of reasons to embrace being a mum later in life.
In July 2016, it was reported that more women aged 40 and over are having babies than women under 20 for the first time in the UK since 1947.
With a clear trend growing in women choosing to wait, here are five reasons to love being an older mum.
1. You don’t have fear of missing out.
This fear of missing out can be related to career goals, social plans, or just other ambitions in life that you might feel like you are sacrificing when you have children in your younger years.
Dr Helen Webberley, GP for Oxford Online Pharmacy, told The Huffington Post UK: “Being an older mum has many benefits, you have enjoyed your youth and are now ready to settle down and give more time and attention to your children without fear of missing out.”
2. You have life experience.
Dr Webberley said: “Having the experience of age behind you can mean there are less anxieties common to younger parents when they have a baby.”
This life experience also helps in ensuring you are confident enough to speak to both your midwife and doctor about what you want from your birth, rather than being told what you want or need, says Dr Webberley.
3. You are more likely to be financially settled.
By waiting till their later years, older mums have had a chance to develop education and careers, meaning they are more financially stable.
Not only is this good for the costs of raising a child but can also reduce arguments between parents: “More mature mums and dads tend to be socially and financially more settled, two of the main causes of arguments among younger parents,” said Dr Webberley.
4. You have a lower stroke risk.
A new study released by Colombia University showed that women between the ages of 12 and 34 are far more likely to have a pregnancy-related-stroke than older women. In fact, women over the age of 45 actually had the lowest risk associated with strokes.
5. You are more likely to live longer.
A study in the New England Centenarian Study by lead author Thomas Perls, found that women who gave birth after 40 were four times more likely to live to see their 100th birthday than the general population.
Need we say anymore?