The age-old motherhood debate keeps raising its head with a recent study showing that pregnancy in older women is more common now than teenage pregnancy. We need to ‘get over this’! There are advantages and disadvantages for being young and pregnant and older and pregnant. We all know that after 35yrs. it can take longer to conceive and there is an increase risk in downs syndrome etc. The problem arises with older women, who may need a little help (IVF) to conceive, are then categorised as ‘high risk’ and are often bulldozed into the medical system, incurring an amazing amount of unnecessary medical intervention, throughout their pregnancy, labour, birth. This is indeed a cost on the health dollar. If a woman needs a little bit of assistance to conceive, and this is successful, then she should be regarded as a normal pregnancy, no matter what her age, and be given the same choices as a normal (younger) pregnant woman. There is enough fear surrounding pregnancy and birthing with young women – unfortunately it is increased considerably in the over 35 age group.
