More moms than ever are having babies over 45, CDC finds. Here’s why that’s huge

If you’re currently pregnant and in your 40s, new research suggests you’re far from alone. Later-stage motherhood is becoming more common—even among celebs. Cameron Diaz had her first baby at 47, and Kourtney Kardashian recently gave birth to her fourth child at 44 after a long journey with IVF. To underscore this shift, a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that for the first time since 2015, more women over age 45 are becoming pregnant. 

From 2021 to 2022, the number of births to women in this age group rose by 12%, the first change in this rate in almost a decade. 

But it’s not just women over 45. There’s a larger trend in later-in-life pregnancies: For four decades, the birth rate among women aged 40 to 44 has been steadily increasing, except for a slight downturn during the pandemic. Then, in 2021, the birth rate in this age group increased 4%. Meanwhile, the birth rate in women age 20 to 24 has declined 43% since 2007.

Thanks to a shift in societal norms, increased access to reproductive healthcare and advancements in assisted reproductive technologies, more women than ever are free to delay motherhood to when it works best for them. That’s huge.

When women can choose to delay motherhood, it means they’re no longer fully beholden to the proverbial biological clock. That oppressive, constantly ticking clock can act like an invisible hand guiding all major life decisions. It’s a highly specific, anxiety-inducing pressure that simply does not exist for people without uteruses. 

When women can choose to delay motherhood, they don’t have to decide between reaching career or life goals and having a family. I’ll avoid the “having it all” trope, but being able to embrace more choice in your life’s trajectory is finally more of an option for more women than ever before. 

The rise in older mothers reflects a broader societal trend where women are choosing to prioritize career, education, or personal goals before starting a family. It’s a testament to the changing definition of when and how women “should” become mothers.

“Having the freedom to pursue personal and professional aspirations before embracing motherhood is empowering,” states Jill Koziol, CEO and co-founder of Motherly. “In an era where women are more educated than ever, personal growth, career, and education shouldn’t overshadow the choice of motherhood. Women should have the option to delay, not deny, this pivotal experience.”

Undoubtedly, the ability to access and self-manage one’s own reproductive care is essential for maintaining this option. As is expanded insurance coverage for fertility treatments and reduced stigma around third-party reproduction, like using donor eggs. All are crucial pillars supporting the possibility of later-in-life motherhood.

IVF is ‘safer and much more successful’

Thanks to increased improvements in fertility treatments like IUI and IVF, and the fact that these options are more likely to be covered by insurance or employers, women who want to become mothers later in life can now more easily do so—without racing against the clock.

Motherly’s 6th annual State of Motherhood survey found that 19% of millennial mothers who responded became pregnant with the help of fertility treatments. The most recent national statistics show that 2.1% of all births in the US are conceived using IVF. 

According to fertility expert, Dr. Zev Williams of Columbia University Fertility Center,  “IVF is one of the greatest triumphs of modern medicine. In just 45 years, we’ve gone from success rates of less than 1% to greater than 80%. We’ve gone from needing multiple IVF cycles to have one baby to often being able to have multiple babies from a single cycle, one baby at a time. IVF used to be a major cause of multiples [twins, triplets, and beyond]. Now, the rate of multiples using IVF is lower than in the general population. IVF has become much safer and much more successful.”

Egg freezing and egg donation are more accessible

With the rising accessibility of egg freezing and egg donation, many would-be mothers are able to turn to these options as well for family planning on their own terms. 

“Egg freezing is a choice that a woman makes over her body and future, and although it can’t offer guaranteed outcomes, it has undoubtedly provided countless women worldwide with expanded options and increased flexibility in their reproductive timelines,” shares Lauren Makler, CEO and cofounder of Cofertility. 

Freezing your eggs may allow you to focus on your career or go back to school, wait until you find the right partner or even simply keep your options open when it comes to having kids.

“It’s a medical breakthrough which has provided countless women with greater reproductive autonomy, as it reduces many of the barriers women currently face simply because their reproductive window is smaller than men’s. And the fact is, the younger you can freeze your eggs, the better,” Makler notes.

Similarly, the increased availability of donor eggs allows more women to have babies later in life. Egg donation is one of the top ways that women over 45 have children, Makler shares, while lamenting that we don’t often hear about families who rely on third-party reproduction. “There’s still a considerable amount of stigma,” she notes.

There may be health considerations 

While medical technology has advanced, pregnancies later in life still carry inherent risks. Becoming a new mom at 45, 46 or 47 or older is not without the potential for health challenges. 

Though it’s true that nothing happens to your eggs the day you turn 35, fertility declines with age. It’s more difficult to conceive over 40, as the likelihood of getting pregnant naturally is around 5% or less per month, Makler notes. The risk of pregnancy complications also increases, like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, as well as the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. These risks need to be part of the conversation, but they also come with great rewards: Growing your family at the time when it works for you. 

Another potential upside to having a baby at an older age? Increased monitoring by your birth provider, which may reduce the risk of complications for you or your developing baby.

A recent cross-sectional study that looked at more than 50,000 pregnant women around the age of 35 found that the extra care given based on advanced maternal age improved health outcomes for the baby, lowering the risk of stillbirths and deaths. 

Being labeled as “advanced maternal age” may not feel that great, but it can be taken as a good thing. “While it may make patients feel anxious that they are being treated as having a higher risk pregnancy due to their age, ultimately, I think it is beneficial,” says Lucky Sekhon, MD, an OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert, in an interview with Motherly. She says earlier screenings could catch problems before they become more serious.

Moms of all ages need more support

“Pregnant women and new moms need a lot of support, no matter how and when they get to parenthood,” says Makler. Regardless of the age you are when you have your first child—or your fourth—systemic changes are still desperately needed to better support all mothers. Paid leave, flexible workplace policies, hybrid work schedules, universal pre-K and childcare support all need to be part of the picture when it comes to supporting mothers. But waiting until later in life when you’ve met certain personal goals or reached a certain position in your career may mean that you’re better prepared to welcome a baby in your life. For some, that’s the exact right time.