Being a mother is an important decision, making the decision to be a single mother makes it even more relevant. Many women wait for the ideal moment to have their baby, that is, until they are in a stable economic, work and emotional situation, they do not decide to be mothers. In addition, as time progresses, women delay more the age to be mothers, which means that many are around the decade of the 40 by when they decide to take the step. It is at this key moment when the future mother asks herself: “I am already 40, can I be a mother?”
Yes, and it has advantages
Even if, be a mother at 40 It carries some risks, and also at that age, it is a bit complicated to get a pregnancy, motherhood after 40 can have some advantage.
The decision is usually more thoughtful when deciding to be a mother at 40, which allows you to be more sure of the decision. In addition, by being more mature, vital ideas and goals are also clearer.
On the other hand, at 40, the economic and employment situation is more stable, which is very beneficial when it comes to being a single mother. All this means that every day it is more common for women to decide to be single mothers at 40. According to Dr. Antonio Requena, IVI’s medical director general, “pregnancy over 40 years of age is an ever-increasing reality. “, As it indicates that” more than 40% of the patients who come to a first visit are over 40 “.
But you have to know some things …
It is possible to be a single mother after 40. Although it is true that it carries some risks. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you be properly informed and know all the details.
Biologically, the ideal age to be a mother is between 20 and 35 years old, since the ovarian reserve is good and the ovules are of high quality. Both IVI and the rest of the scientific community have it clear: we must not delay motherhood, but if you are going to do it, or if it is inevitable to do so, preserve. It is only possible to enjoy these biological advantages from 20 to 40 through the vitrification of ovules.
Being a mother at 40 carries a number of risks. The baby is more likely to have an abnormality (tests, such as amniocentesis or PGT-A, can diagnose these types of problems, even before you are pregnant) and the chances of miscarriage increase (although from week 12, the probability decreases). In addition, the risk of suffering from placental detachments, hypertensive problems or gestational diabetes of the mother is increased. On the other hand, complications in childbirth (which is why more caesarean sections are performed) and multiple pregnancies (also more risky) are also more frequent.
Therefore, from IVI, we recommend doing a medical and gynecological check-up before taking the plunge and becoming a mother, especially over 40 years of age.
There are more and more single mothers
According to data released by the INE, in Spain, there are more and more single mothers. There has been an exponential increase in unmarried women who decide to be mothers. Although it is true that this data also includes those who have a partner but are not married, the truth is that the rise in this figure clearly reflects that women are becoming more independent every day.
The number of single mothers in Spain has increased considerably, we see it in consultation. In the last five years, the treatments we have performed on women who wanted to have a child without having a partner have increased by 57%. It is not the future, it is a reality.
This great change has a double motivation. On the one hand, the development of science and technology and the consequent improvement of assisted reproduction methods has played a major role in this increase. Furthermore, according to Dr. Antonio Requena “it is something that is becoming more and more socially frequent”, which is related to a change in mentality and to the empowerment of women. He tells us in this video
Being a single mother at 40 it is a decision that is being made by more and more women. The 40s are a time of calm and stability, which allows you to be more aware and be more sure of your decision. Can you tell us about your case? Do you know someone who has made this decision?
