If you’re a woman over forty years old, you’ve often decided whether or not to have kids by that point in your life. Some women have kids as early as when they are in their teens, and having them in their twenties and thirties is common as well.
When you hit age forty, there are some potential drawbacks if you want to have kids. However, there are also some distinct advantages. Let’s talk briefly about the cons and pros of having kids if you’re a woman who’s forty or older.
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Are You Still Physically Capable of It?
At forty years old, some women are still in great shape. Others might not be doing so well.
At age forty, you might get up in the morning with a lot of aches and pains. Car crashes account for 40% of back injuries in the US, but maybe it’s just wear and tear that causes you to feel like you do at this point in your life.
The fact is that some women might not feel like they’re physically capable of chasing a rambunctious toddler around after age forty. You also might not be physically capable of carrying a baby to term at that age.
Fertility treatments are a lot better these days than they used to be, and there are plenty of women who can have kids at age forty or after, but there’s no doubt that it’s usually easier at a younger age. You will have to talk to a doctor about your physical condition if you want to have a baby via pregnancy after age forty.
Would Adoption Interest You?
If you decided not to have kids until after age forty, you might feel like your body is no longer capable of pregnancy. Childbirth is one of the most strenuous things you have to go through, and you may think that you’re not ready for that kind of ordeal at your age.
You might look at adoption instead if that seems acceptable to you. Children often need homes, and if you want to take one on, that’s a very socially responsible thing to do.
Some women decide on this option and end up loving their adopted child very much. If you do this, it may also make sense because you might get a child who’s a little bit older, so they sleep through the night. Skipping this child-rearing step is something that appeals to a lot of would-be moms.
What’s Your Financial Situation?
Women who decide they’re interested in having children but don’t want to do so when they’re younger might reach that conclusion because they may not have much money when they’re in their twenties and thirties. You might be in a more stable financial situation when you get to age forty.
At that point, you might be a homeowner rather than living in an apartment. You may have established your career path and have a steady job and disposable income in the bank.
If you have financial assets and a better living situation for a child, that might be ample reason to try to start a family at age forty rather than before. Financial stability does matter for a child, so this will be a factor you should consider.
Do You Have a Partner Who Supports this Decision?
Women over forty who want children at that stage in their lives will also probably have a much easier time if they have a spouse or partner who wants the same thing. That’s not to say that it’s not possible to have and raise a child on your own at that point, but being a single parent isn’t ever easy. You will have to be very determined to make it on your own with a baby, whether you adopted, carried the child to term, or used a surrogate.
If you’re over forty and have either a spouse or partner who is on board with the decision to bring a baby into the family, you’ll have a much better support network. The other adult can help you raise the child, and it will make the whole process much easier for you.
If you’re a woman forty or older, and you have your heart set on having a baby at this stage, there is no reason to think you can’t come up with a way to do it. Waiting till this point might turn out to be a prudent decision.