Please read the rules for commenting at this blog. Your comment is extremely condescending and ignores the point of my post, which is that historically this panic over maternal age in childbearing is an utterly new phenomenon.

However, you miss the point of the research.

In the context of biology, research and evidence has shown that age, above 22, and fertility are negatively correlated in a statistically significant way.

Consider a couple of things:

First, to call scientific research “idiocy” ruins your credibility. Science is by its nature blind and impartial. It does not consider social standards, or demographic trends of age versus quality of life. If you want to decide when to have a baby, you MUST take ALL factors into account. The research says that the chances of producing a viable offspring are at maximum at age 22. That is one piece of information.

Instead of flaming science, it would be a better use of time and energy to educate yourself and those around you about how science works and why it is important.

“Maternal age influences the chances of conceiving a baby with Down syndrome. At maternal age 20 to 24, the probability is one in 1562; at age 35 to 39 the probability is one in 214, and above age 45 the probability is one in 19.”

“How Old is Too Old to Have a Baby?
According to the Mayo Clinic, a woman’s fertility peaks between the ages of 20 and 24. However, fertility rates remain relatively constant through the early 30s, after which they begin to decline:

At age 30 to 35, fertility is 15 to 20 percent below maximum. From age 35 to 39, the decrease is 25 to 50 percent. From 40 to 45, the decrease is 50 to 95 percent.

Technically, any woman who has not gone through menopause, and who does not have other reproductive problems, can become pregnant. Successful pregnancies have been reported in women as old as 59.

Pregnancy Risks After 35
The risk of miscarriage increases after age 35; by the early 40s, more than 50 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Many of these occur at an early stage and may not even be detected, or may be mistaken for a late period. The majority of these miscarriages are due to the chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.”

“At maternal age 20 to 24, the probability is one in 1562; at age 35 to 39 the probability is one in 214, and above age 45 the probability is one in 19.”

Kthnx.

And DV: what an interesting temp assignment! I was never that lucky with my temp jobs. I’ve heard that many women seeking infertility treatments may feel pressured by a male partner who won’t accept an adopted child. Talk about a pressured existence–feeling like a failure as a woman (whether or not it’s your body’s “fault” or his, the woman’s body is the battleground), and fearing losing your relationship at the same time.

I think we’d all be better off if in the U.S. we adopted (so to speak) the Native American tradition of “fictive kin,” and were more flexible about family. Families should be flexible units that can incorporate more than just blood kin. (The fetishization of “blood” seems to be all about patriarchy, property rights, and capitalism anyway, than about true family values.)

I’m pleased to see Ann Bartow raised an issue missing from this conversation on the pressures women face to reproduce. That is, actual reproduction. I worked as a temp in a fertility clinic. Many of the women I met faced serious challenges conceiving and were dead set on doing so. They spent tens of thousands of dollars attempting to get pregnant and were willing to use retirement savings on future attempts. None of them wanted to hear the word “adoption.” They couldn’t see themselves as mothers unless they gave birth. And this, I think, is another oppressive aspect of the expectation - the myth that “true” mothers have experienced childbirth.

One odd, sad story: In a family of 10, 6 were female, and 5 of them had fertility issues. The oldest got pregnant as a teenager, and gave the baby up for adoption. She married in her 20s but was unable to conceive, so she then adopted a child! You just can’t predict these things. And it’s definitely better not to ask, and especially not to pry, why certain choices were made.

I guess it’s better than being mistaken for pregnant which happened to me last summer! [I'm not fat but I'm getting a bit of a middle-age paunch]