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Babies Later in Life

Pregnancy at 35 and Older

By Jill Eggleton Brett

If testing rules out chromosomal abnormalities and mom is healthy, there is no higher risk of birth defects for her child than a mom in her 20s.

With all the physical risk factors aside, being a mom age 35 and older brings many mental and emotional benefits. Many women who wait to have children do so in order to achieve personal goals and to explore life more freely. Therefore, once their bundle of joy arrives, they will have a vast array of experiences as a woman to draw upon to aid them in motherhood.

Waiting to have children until the mid-30s also brings emotional maturity and the ability to cast aside the "what if syndrome." Some young mothers wrestle with the notion of, "What if I would've gone to college," or "What if I'd traveled around the world," or "Maybe I would've been the first woman president." Women who wait to have children typically have already worked out the kinks and the "what ifs" in their lives and they are ready to begin raising a new life.

Perhaps Terri Gensheimer sums it up best when she says, "I love being an 'older' mom. I've climbed the corporate ladder, and I've had those days where I've mopped 'till I dropped. My house was immaculate for 10 years! But now I can truly enjoy my ABCs and the spilled juice on my linoleum."

Want to see more?

• Considering Pregnancy Later in Life
• How Old is Too Old to Give Birth?
• One and Only: How to Know When – and If – You Should Try for Another Child
• Talk about it