The desire to have a baby is no different at 45

If you are planning a midlife pregnancy, or suddenly find yourself expecting over the age of 45, apart from the obvious health issues, one of the main questions that will inevitably arise in your mind is, "What will people think?" It doesn't really matter what other people think. We all make personal choices and no one should condemn you for decisions you make that affect your life and not theirs. The desire to have a baby is no different at 45 to the desire to have a baby at 25.

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Birthrates for older women have increased dramatically in recent years. Of the 4,058,814 babies born in the United States in 2000, 452,057 were to women 35 to 39; 90,013 to women 40 to 44; 4,349 to women 45 to 49; and 255 to women 50 to 54. Still, birthrates for older women haven't matched historical levels: In 1960, the birthrate for women 40 to 44 was less than 20 per 1,00 births—more than twice the current rate.

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More first babies are being born to older mothers, with women over age 30 accounting for 24 percent of all first-time mothers in 2000. (In 1975, they accounted for just 5 percent of first-time mothers.)

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More twins and triplets are being born to older mothers, with multiple birthrates rising steadily for women over 40 and 45. In 2000, 40 percent of all births to women 50 and older were twins or triplets. (Overall, twin births have increased 74 percent from 1980 to 2000.)

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Please don't lose hope. A client of mine just had a baby at 48 after trying for 10 years. She said they had given up all hope.

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