Motherhood costs us. There’s no question about it. Parenthood requires sacrifice – not only financial, but also physical, emotional and in many other realms. For “older” mothers, this may be particularly true. The harmonic convergence of mid-life and raising young children creates numerous opportunities for growth, but also many challenges. Of course, most of us would agree that whatever the price, our kids are worth it. Whatever we pay in terms of lost sleep, delayed retirement, worry over aging parents while still raising our own families, and other costs, our lives are enriched in countless, priceless ways by our children.
Given the exponential increase in women who are delaying parenthood these days, the cost of motherhood, especially when one embarks on the journey a bit later in life, is a topic worthy of discussion. In addition to the personal, there may be big-picture societal costs that accompany this trend. Though not all women of “advanced maternal age,” defined as anyone over the age of thirty-five who gives birth, have difficulty getting pregnant or have medically complicated pregnancies, the risk of these realities increases with age. Millions of health care dollars are spent each year in fertility clinics, and though not all women who seek the assistance of technology to become pregnant are over thirty-five, this demographic comprises a large percentage of consumers. Women who conceive over the age of thirty-five are more likely to have expensive pregnancies due to an increased risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension and multiples. Because of these issues and other factors, the incidence of c-section deliveries is higher as women get older, making deliveries and post-partum care more expensive. And finally, the higher risk of genetic abnormalities and premature births to older mothers can render immediate post-natal care, and in some cases lifetime care, more costly.
As costs in health care are increasingly examined, the cost of older motherhood in terms of cold, hard cash will likely be scrutinized more and more. In countries with nationalized health care, such as Canada and the U.K., this is already happening.
But there are other considerations here. Older mothers are more likely to be highly educated and financially stable, thus less likely to use societal resources that less-educated, less financially stable parents may need. There are many other issues that are worth looking at. For example, some studies have shown that marriage stability is related to age, education and affluence. So are older parents generally more likely to be in stable relationships and less likely to separate? If so, what would be the savings in terms of behavioral health care costs for their children?
Obviously, this is a complicated subject, and there are many issues related to older parenthood and the potential costs to society other than health care dollars that require a further look. More data needs to be gathered, but though at first glance this trend may seem costly, there may be other significant, though not necessarily obvious, benefits.