By now you’ve probably heard that Ms. Berry is pregnant with her second child and she’s a lovely looking 46 year old. I was immediately happy for her when I first heard the news but I was surprised at others. On social media I’ve heard many who find this beautiful thing just a woman who has nothing better to do or a woman trying to recapture her youth. WTF?!? Those words actually came out of women’s mouths on a woman of 46 having a child. As if we don’t get enough crap from men we gotta fight crap from women too on our age? *sigh*…
Older man have been having babies for YEARS but when an older women does it there’s some backlash? I don’t get it. Yea, I know the risks but technology is catching up with this trend of older women having children.
Any pregnancy after age 35 is considered risky, says
physician Martin Chavez, but “the paradigm has drastically changed because
of noninvasive tests that are available now. It’s no longer the case of doom
and gloom.” He is chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Winthrop University
Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.
Among medical advances for the fetus: A new blood test
is a safer method to detect birth defects than amniocentesis (drawing amniotic
fluid from the uterus with a needle) which carries a slight risk of
miscarriage. Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring has been associated with a
significantly decreased rate of neonatal death and infant mortality. –USA Today
There are some who feel that older mothers are cheating their children by not being around like a younger mother will be because of having children later but that just isn’t true.
Forty is the new 20 when it comes to having babies
creating a distinct trend with a host of positives for women who delay
motherhood including living longer than those who give birth at young ages.
John Mirowsky, sociology professor at the Population Center
at University of Texas who also works with the National Institute of Health
says the ideal age to give birth is between 34 and 40. On the plus side he
reports that those mothers experience better health, have healthier babies, and
are less likely to turn to risky behavior. Much of this excellent news relates
to the fact that older mothers tend to have more education and to be more
financially as well as emotionally secure.
The New England Centenarian Study conducted by Boston
University Medical Center found that women who give birth after 40 were four
times more likely to live to 100 or longer than were women who gave birth at
younger ages. –Psychology Today
I had my children at 24 and 30 and even though I had a harder time losing the weight at 30 I was more educated and stable than at 24. I was able to breastfed for 2 1/2 years, be a stay-at-home mom for 4 years and I had more money too. Now that I look back I should have waited a few years for my first one but the trend wasn’t as big 18 years ago. I was just out of school with my first one and my life wasn’t as secure as it was by the time I was 30. My life is even MORE stable now that I’m 42 and if I didn’t have any kids I wouldn’t let my age be the factor on never doing it. I’m sure there are many women who feel the exact say way.
I’m happy for Halle and happy for all older women deciding to have their children when it’s right for them and not what society dictates is right. 40 IS the new 20 for women wanting children and careers so I say more women need to get that antiquated notion out of their minds and respect the women who choose to have a family later in life.
So younger women….before you start judging a woman for starting her family in her 40’s just remember that is another form of age discrimination that women don’t need nor want. If you’re lucky you will make it to your 40’s and I guarantee you won’t want any woman or man dictating what you can do with your body.
Loving my body and lives at every age Naturals,
Sabrina
Resources:
USA Today – http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/08/halle-berry-pregnancy-baby/2064403/
Psychology Today –http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/singletons/200810/forty-or-close-is-the-new-20-having-babies
Wonderful points made. I'm in my mid-30's and get a lot of flack because I don't have a child yet.
Why can't people worry about their own reproductive needs and let others be? If choose to have children I'm more than sure you can decide when you are ready. Women do not have to have kids and we do not have to have them at a certain age. They need to worry about their own wombs and let your be! Thanks for sharing.
Modern medicine is NOT on her side.
MOST women over 40 and MANY in there mid to late 30s will NOT get pregnant without some sort of medical assistance. There is less than a 5% chance each month that a woman's Halle's age will get pregnant naturally.
At 30 your chances of getting pregnant in any given month are 20% – so no you don't have all the time in the world. There is a good chance one will experience some level of infertility and will need medical assistance (which doesn't drastically increase your chances of pregnancy) – may not ever have kids if you wait too long and drastically increase the likelihood you will have a child with medical issues.
Well, there are plenty of women proving you wrong who are getting pregnant at older ages. I've heard of women of ALL ages needing help getting pregnant even women in their 20's. A few of my friends fell into that 20 year old category as well. It may be harder for some or even the majority but many have the money, resources, and support to do what they need to make it happen. If these women choose to do so they should be left alone to do it and not be bombarded with negative comments on their decisions.
Thanks for sharing.
Halle isn't out there asking for anyones support or approval. It's a blessing and people should be happy for her!! #TeamHalle
You are so right. I'm happy for her as well. Thanks for sharing.
I think in general we've come to not trust a woman's ability enough. If a woman hasn't hit menopause, then her body hasn't yet said it is too late for children. So much of the medical invasion in pregnancy and labor/delivery could be lessened if there was more trust in a woman's body's ability to do what it was created with the ability to do.
Great point. If you have not hit menopause you CAN have children so who is to judge a woman who decides to have a child outside of society's perception of childbearing years? Thanks for sharing.
I'm happy for Halle too and wish her a healthy child and a safe pregnancy.
so do I love.
My grandmother was 43 when she had her last child. I think people need to settle down. The hubby and I are trying this year to conceive and I'm 37. No one gets to decide when and if I want to expand my family. Good post.
Thanks love. I miss you by the way.
I think there is a lot of hoopla for no reason. Halle is healthy and she watches her diet and I think she should be fine. I had my youngest child at 40 years with no complications. My friend grandmother had her mother her 1st born at 48 yrs old.:) @ JenJen Good Luck to you and wishing you a healthy baby in the near future. 🙂
I agree. Let her be and let all the other women older than 30 having babies alone as well. Having kids in your 20's isn't for everybody and may not be the right time. Thanks for sharing.
Just want to share some news on Infertility. http://www.ebony.com/life/national-infertility-awareness-week-infertility-myths-debunked-876#axzz2RUdsFGK7