Pregnancies past age 40 – and even 50 – soar in Spain

Although no distinction has been made in the figures between first-time over-40 mothers and those who had already had children at a younger age, it is said that 35,666 women in their fifth decade gave birth last year – an increase of 26 per cent on numbers for 2012.

They currently represent 8.3 per cent of all women in Spain who give birth, and have doubled in number since 2006 when only 16,512 mums over 40 out of getting on for 400,000 in the country as a whole were registered.

Experts say the 'maternity calendar' is changing, particularly in light of the financial crisis – modern women 'have worked hard to gain a higher education' and 'made achieving a solid career base a priority' ahead of that of 'partners or families'.

“Settling down with a life-partner or having children are not something that happen early in life now,” says demographic expert Julio Pérez of the High Council of Scientific Investigation (CSIC).

This, and a longer wait to find work and job security, meaning leaving home and buying a property comes much later, has also led to women having children at an age normally considered high-risk, Pérez says.

Women interviewed say they chose not to have children earlier in life because they firstly wanted to make sure they were with the right partner who would be supportive and responsible, who was financially solvent, and whom they were confident they wanted to be with long-term or for good.

Many say mums in their 40s are not an unusual sight at the school gates, but that the situation is 'fairly normal'.

“There's a lot more divorce nowadays and many people decide to have a child when they meet their second husband or wife,” said one woman, who added that she was 'absolutely sure' that she would choose to have children 'when she was ready'.

“In my first marriage, I didn't want to become a mother, but when I had the right partner and knew I would be able to take care of my children independently and on my own, I decided to,” she said.

“I believe having children is something you should think through carefully first.”

Pérez refers to later-life offspring as 'high-class children', saying today's trend is turning towards having fewer babies – often just one – and spending considerably more time and money on.

And anthropologist Elena Corrochano says women want to be properly settled before they think about bringing another life into the world.

“It seems they are unable to make that decision unless and until they had a job, house, car and a dog,” she comments.

Although women are physically able to get pregnant from their first period right through to their last, doctors do not recommend having a baby until at least age 19 and no later than 35 or 40.

After age 35, the quality and quantity of eggs lessens, miscarriage is more frequent and the mother's own health is more precarious through gestation with the possibility of diabetes, too-high or too-low blood pressure occurring.

Pregnancy discomfort such as tiredness, sickness and sciatica or lumbar pain increase.

Fertility clinics treating women who have tried and failed to conceive through sexual intercourse with a male partner say the average age of their patients is between 34 and 38.

They do not attempt treatment at age 50 or above, and after age 43, only use donor eggs – these patients make up around a third of those seeking IVF.

Studies have not shown that women who have babies when past 40 are any worse as mothers – in fact, those who had their first children at 40 or more say they are more tolerant, patient, easy-going and more able to discipline their kids without getting angry or stressed out.

Pérez also commented on the rise in numbers of mothers having babies at age 50 or more, which has trebled in eight years.

In 2005, a total of 84 women in Spain aged over 50 had a baby, whilst 241 did so in 2013.

He believes that this is likely to become more and more common as women continue to delay having children, adults live longer, scientific progress means those on the verge of menopause can still do so and, possibly in the future, may enable even post-menopausal women to conceive.