We know Sienna Miller as the gorgeous British-American actress, model, and fashion designer. She made her film debut in 2004 in a crime thriller called Layer Cake and became famous for playing Tippi Hedren in The Girl in 2012. She was also nominated for the Orange Rising Star Award in 2008. Sienna Miller is now expecting her second baby at 41, which, for the most part, is uncommon amongst child-bearing women.
Should we, as women, follow in the footsteps of what Sienna Miller is doing and also consider having children later on in life?
Should women wait to have children?
Women have always been told that they must have children when they are young because their biological clock is constantly ticking away. To some degree, this is true. However, while women are able to conceive with more ease under the age of 40, there may also be some benefit in having children later on and at a mature age.
In the United States, women are waiting longer than ever to get pregnant
The average age of first-time moms is nearly 27, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Birth rates have risen among women in their 30s and dropped among those in their 20s.
There are certain benefits in waiting to start a family. You’ll have more time to save up money, establish your relationship, and become more financially secure for your child.
Age can also bring wisdom and patience, and here’s some evidence that children born to older parents achieve higher levels of education. Holding off on pregnancy might have advantages for you, as well. A 2012 study suggested that women who gave birth to their last or only child at age 40 or older had a lower risk of uterine cancer.
Therefore, there are some advantages to having children when you are older, but one must also be aware of the risks that may follow.
Risks of getting pregnant at age 35 and older
Starting at age 35, these pregnancy risks become more common:
- Gestational diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Preeclampsia
- Placenta previa
- Miscarriage
- Premature birth
- Stillbirth
- Need for a cesarean delivery
- Heavy bleeding after delivery
- Low infant birth weight
- Chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome
Benefits of having children at a younger age
Deciding to become a younger mother is more beneficial to your baby’s health. Also, your odds of conceiving are higher in your late 20s or early 30s than later in life. Getting pregnant during this time will also reduce your chances of having a pregnancy complication.
How is fertility affected by age?
Every woman is born with all the eggs they will ever have. At birth, there were about 2 million of them. As you get older, the number of eggs you have gradually decreases. By the age of 37, you will only have about 25000 eggs left. At 51, you will be down to 1000 eggs. While this may still sound like a lot, the quality of your eggs also decreases as you age.
Your risk of developing conditions that can negatively impact fertility, like endometriosis and tubal disease, also increases as you get older. Because of these factors, your fertility begins to decline at around the age of 32 gradually. Starting between ages 35 and 37, your fertility begins to drop even quicker. Therefore, your chance of getting pregnant decreases as you get older.
Other factors that may reduce your chances of getting pregnant:
- Smoking
- Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy
- Pelvic infection
When should you see a doctor for fertility concerns?
Fertility issues are very common. More than 12 percent of women have difficulties getting pregnant. If you haven’t been able to get pregnant, a fertility specialist can do tests to see why you’re not conceiving and offer treatments to improve your odds of a pregnancy.
Consider seeing a fertility specialist if:
- You’re age 35 or younger, you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a year.
- You have been trying for more than 6 months and you’re over age 35.
- You’re over age 40, and you’d like to start a family.
The fertility treatment your doctor recommends depends on factors like the cause of your fertility issues, your age, and your preferences. Options include:
- Fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation
- Surgery to fix a uterine condition, such as endometriosis, fibroids, or blocked fallopian tubes
- Intrauterine insemination, where sperm is placed directly into your uterus during ovulation
- In vitro fertilization, where sperm and egg are placed together in a lab until they form an embryo, which is then implanted into your uterus
- Zygote intrafallopian transfer and gamete intrafallopian transfer, where the sperm and egg or a fertilized egg are placed into your fallopian tube
Freezing your eggs may be the answer
If you are worried about how your eggs might be affected in the future due to age and you want to wait to have children, egg freezing might be a good option for you and one that lots of women opt for. Sienna Miller certainly chose this route, and it has benefitted her greatly. According to People, Sienna shared,
“[The] pressure… [about] kids, and should I have more, and why haven’t I, and all of that, which is a really loud noise. Biology is incredibly cruel on women in that decade – that’s the headline, or it certainly was for me,” she shared.
“Then I got to 40 and I froze some eggs. Having been really focused on the need to have another baby, I’m just like, if it happens, it happens. That kind of existential threat has dissipated.”
The fact that Sienna Miller decided to freeze her eggs has now allowed her to be pregnant with her second baby at 41. Egg freezing allows you the chance to protect the integrity of your eggs while simultaneously giving you the time you desire to wait to have children.
Increase your chances of having a healthy baby
It is important to treat any conditions that could make your pregnancy risky, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Make sure you see your obstetrician for a preconception visit to ensure you are healthy enough to get pregnant.
Also, follow up with all of your scheduled pregnancy visits so that your doctors can regularly monitor you and your baby’s health and address any problems that arise. It is vital that you take good care of your body; it goes without saying that you must not smoke or drink alcohol, and it may be beneficial to follow a healthy eating plan, often exercise, and get enough sleep.
In Conclusion
You have the best odds of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby when you are in your 20s and 30s. However, this scenario may not be right for every woman, and you may want to wait until you are older. This will, in turn, bring its own benefits as well as possible challenges and or complications. If you have any concerns about your ability to get pregnant, see your gynecologist or visit a fertility specialist.
References
Childbearing Age: What’s Ideal and What Are the Risks? (healthline.co
Sienna Miller Is Pregnant, Expecting Second Baby: Vacation Photos (people.com)
https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/how-old-is-too-old-to-have-a-baby
