Age of women giving birth

[pottedplant]

Should we be worried about these statistics:

 

In 2011, on average, a woman giving birth was aged 29.7, up from 29.5 in the previous year, and three-and-a-half years older than in 1973. The average age at which a woman has her first child was 28, another record high.

[HappyCampers]

sorry I don't think I get what there is to be concerned by?

 

seems like a good thing to me if people start families a little later, maybe that will reduce the number of kids growing up with divorced parents

[llamatron]

no, why would we be?

[twibstix]

I'm 39 on 19 Feb and just had my first (and probably only) baby on Nov 5. I'm in a loving relationship, she is well provided for, cherished and adored, and I couldn't say any of that a little over a year ago.

[pottedplant]

sorry I don't think I get what there is to be concerned by?

 

seems like a good thing to me if people start families a little later, maybe that will reduce the number of kids growing up with divorced parents

 

With the increased average age there does seem to be an increased rather than decreased risk splitting. When people had children younger (in the 60s and 70s) they seemed to stay together?

 

---------- Post added 25-01-2013 at 11:04 ----------

 

I'm 39 on 19 Feb and just had my first (and probably only) baby on Nov 5. I'm in a loving relationship, she is well provided for, cherished and adored, and I couldn't say any of that a little over a year ago.

 

Congratulations - you sound really happy

[HappyCampers]

people stayed together in the 1960s because it was very hard to get a divorce (my parents got divorced back then but it was a long and tough process) until the law was changed c1970 (I think). But I do think people don't stick/work at marriage like they used to.

 

Interesting fact - the divorce rate is highest in the over 55s these days - a lot of that seems to be driven by kids leaving home and couples realising they have nothing in common any more

 

we had our first child in our late 30s and am really happy we did, some younger people seem less able to cope with the challenges (financial and emotional)

 

---------- Post added 25-01-2013 at 11:18 ----------

 

another advantage of having kids later is that population growth is slowed

[pottedplant]

people stayed together in the 1960s because it was very hard to get a divorce (my parents got divorced back then but it was a long and tough process) until the law was changed c1970 (I think). But I do think people don't stick/work at marriage like they used to.

 

Interesting fact - the divorce rate is highest in the over 55s these days - a lot of that seems to be driven by kids leaving home and couples realising they have nothing in common any more

 

we had our first child in our late 30s and am really happy we did, some younger people seem less able to cope with the challenges (financial and emotional)

 

---------- Post added 25-01-2013 at 11:18 ----------

 

another advantage of having kids later is that population growth is slowed

 

I am pleased your circumstances suit......were your parents in their 30s/40s too? I do have some worries that the trend to later births may mean that many children don't have grandparents or other older relatives to learn from. I think as a society we would loose something if that were to happen.

[HappyCampers]

......were your parents in their 30s/40s too?.

 

nope, my mum was just out of her teenage years and dad wasn't much older

 

go back another generation and plenty of marriages happened before people were even 20 (but they stuck at them)

 

you are right about grandparents, our kids have seen their grandads die while they (the kids) were relatively young so older male role models are potentially lacking

 

thing is so many people are mobile / career focussed these days, so by the time they have kids they don't live close to grandparents anyhow

[llamatron]

I am pleased your circumstances suit......were your parents in their 30s/40s too? I do have some worries that the trend to later births may mean that many children don't have grandparents or other older relatives to learn from. I think as a society we would loose something if that were to happen.

 

I am pretty confident that the age we live to is increasing more than the age we have babies. Plus if increased age equals more knowledge and sense (hmmmm) they will have older parents anyway!

[pottedplant]

I am pretty confident that the age we live to is increasing more than the age we have babies. Plus if increased age equals more knowledge and sense (hmmmm) they will have older parents anyway!

 

Agreed - but longevity does not necessarily (unfortunately) relate to health and well being. So an individual becoming a grandparent at the age of 80 does not really inspire me.

 

I have fantastic memories of spending time with my grandparents- being taken on holiday by them etc (when I was 10 they were in their 50s). And my own children have benefited equally theirs.