In just a few months, my first child will be born, so the subject of pregnancy and motherhood has become very close to me. Even though I turned thirty some time ago, I feel that this is the perfect time to prove myself as a mother. As it turns out, an increasing number of women in Poland think similarly. Late motherhood has its advantages and disadvantages. What?
Late pregnancy, also known as geriatric (for me this term makes me smile, but I know that not everyone likes it), is when a woman expecting a baby is at least 35 years old. It is not a rarity these days. According to the latest Eurostat data, a statistical Polish woman gives birth to her first child at an average of 27,6 years old and this age – as many experts point out – may soon increase to 30. This is happening throughout the European Union, where in 2019 the average age of a woman at the time of the birth of the first child was already 29,4 years.
When deciding on late motherhood, we must be aware of certain risks for both the mother and the child. First of all, doctors indicate a greater likelihood of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, miscarriage or premature birth in women. On the other hand, in a child, the more advanced the mother’s age is, the statistically more common: low birth weight, congenital or genetic defects. From this perspective, the decision on later motherhood is certainly not made easier by the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal published on January 27, 2021, which prohibits termination of pregnancy due to lethal defects.
Fortunately, knowledge about geriatric pregnancies is growing, gynecologists have more and more practice in caring for mature pregnant women, and the National Health Fund refunds prenatal tests for all women from the age of 35.
Late motherhood also brings many advantages. Usually, older mothers take more care of themselves during pregnancy, which has a positive effect on their health and the health of the baby that is to be born. They are much more aware mothers who are often able to devote more time to their babies than if they were found in motherhood earlier in their lives. Experts also emphasize that women who gave birth to children at a later age age slower, which I wish to myself and all mums in their XNUMXs.