by Helium01

Created on: January 21, 2009

Having a Baby in Your Thirties

My daughter was born shortly after my 34th
birthday, a full 10 years later than the age that my own mother gave birth to me. Although I'm sure my parents were thrilled to welcome their first grandchild, I believe that at the same time they may have wondered why I waited so long. And also may have thought that I was a little old to become a mom.

Although I can imagine there are benefits to becoming a parent at a young age, such as having the stamina to keep up with them, and knowing that you will probably get to see your grandchildren graduate from college, I believe there are also advantages to being an older parent.

More Settled

When I think back to being 24 years old, the last thing on my mind was children. At 34, I am much more settled in terms of finances, my relationship with my husband, and I have the patience to handle the little ups and downs that a new baby can bring (ever heard of colic.

Generation Span

Having older parents and grandparents is not necessarily a bad thing. When my daughter was born two of her grandparents were already retired. The other two were one year away from retirement. By the time my daughter is 25, my husband and I will likely be retired. What does all this talk about retirement mean? Simply that my daughter will get to know her grandparents more as a young girl than if they were 10 years younger and still struggling with the daily grind. And by the time my daughter has a family of her own, I will also have the time to be there if she needs me.

Healthier Choices

Although there is an argument to be made that younger women have less complications with pregnancy, in general I believe older women who become pregnant are better at making healthy choices. With age comes the wisdom to make sacrifices in the present for something in the future. Everything from better eating habits, regular doctor's visits, taking prenatal vitamins, and choosing to breastfeed are items on the to-do list of most pregnant women in their 30's.

For me, becoming pregnant in my 30's did not seem that unusual, as many of my friends had also waited to become mothers. For my mother's generation, however, it probably seems as though I waited an eternity. Only my daughter will be able to say for certain if waiting was the right thing to do. I have a sneaky suspicion, though, that she will be pleased as punch to have a mom with endless patience, love, and praise, even if I do have a few more wrinkles around the eyes.

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