Are you thinking of having children in your 30s or 40s? Has life just gotten in the way up until now?
If you have doubts about having kids later on in life, don’t — there are so many benefits of being a “mature age” mum.
Financial stability
By the time you reach your mid-30s, you’re probably far more financially stable than you were in your 20s. Women in their 30s usually have established careers, which goes hand in hand with higher salaries and more financial power. At this stage of your life, you most likely have some money stashed away in savings. Having kids is expensive, and as blunt as it sounds, the more money you have, the better you will be able to support them. Being financially independent (and knowing how to budget) is a huge benefit when motherhood is on the horizon.
Support system
In general, when you reach the middle age milestone, you will have built up a solid support system. You’ve weeded out the friends who take more than they give and you’ve spent time nourishing the relationships that matter. A strong support system is invaluable when it comes to having a baby — sometimes, you just need someone to lean on. Socially speaking, if you’re a woman in her mid to late 30s, you probably have friends who are mothers — and spending time with them is one of the best ways to get ready for motherhood! Preparing for a baby can be a lot of work, so it’s great to have friends who can pass on information, recommend great books/doctors/classes and tag along when you shop for baby supplies.
Relationship status
By the time the mid-30s roll around, many women have nurtured and developed solid relationships. Having a partner by your side will not only give you someone to share the experience with, but it will also make it much easier. You will already have a partner to help you during the pregnancy (and do the late night ice cream runs), the delivery and in the overwhelming phase when your baby is born. Younger women in struggling or failed relationships may not have the same kind of support. If you’re in a de facto relationship or if marriage is on the cards, it will also help financially: If you choose to take maternity leave, you can rely on your partner to provide for you during this time. Pregnancy can put a strain on a relationship at any age, but when you’re in your mid or late 30s, all those issues become a little easier to manage — just call it life experience.
Maturity
When you’ve been roaming the world for three decades, you pick up a thing or two. Logically speaking, a woman in her 30s will have more knowledge stored up than a woman who’s just left school or entered the workforce. Doctors often comment that older mums-to-be tend to be more health-conscious and thorough in their prenatal care. This is not to say that younger women are irresponsible when they’ve got a bun in the oven, but simply that women in their 30s or 40s are more aware of their health and how it will impact their child as well as the pregnancy. They’re also more likely to know about the risks of having children later in life and as such, will take extra steps to keep their health in check. The maturity that comes with “growing up” will help in spades when you’ve got a little one running around.
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The goal checklist
Gone are the days when women got married and had kids when they had barely hit adulthood themselves. Nowadays, many women are choosing to focus on their career and personal life before turning their attention to starting a family. At the age of 35, chances are your career, relationships and finances are in check and you’ve ticked off many of your goals. With those achievements under your belt, it’s the perfect time to focus on the next chapter of your life: children.
Life experience
Putting aside things like financial, career and relationship standing, the most important thing an older woman has that a younger one doesn’t is life experience. Just knowing more about life in general is a major benefit of having a child in the 35-45 age range. When you are “mature” enough to use eye cream, you’ve seen and experienced a lot of things that can help you to be a better mother. You’ve also been in the world long enough to understand the complexities of life (and pregnancy) and the different ways of raising a child. A better understanding of the world around you will come in handy when it’s time to pass on values and morals to your child.
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