Welcome to Mothers 35 Plus, the website for older mothers

Mothers 35 Plus is the UK's leading website devoted to 'late motherhood' and has been online since 1998. Whether you are about to have your first, second or tenth baby, if you are an older mother or want to be an older mother this is the place to be!

'Older motherhood' is now official, since the latest birth statistics published by the UK's Office for National Statistics show that more women than ever before are choosing to become mothers later in life. In England and Wales the number of live births to mothers aged 40 and over has nearly trebled - from 9,717 in 1990 to 27,731 in 2010.


Birth Statistics

In 2010 there were 723,165 live births in England and Wales, compared with 706,248 in 2009 - a rise of 2.4 per cent.

In 2010, nearly half (48%) of all babies born were to mothers aged 30 and over. The mean age of the mother at childbirth was 29.5.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of fathers were aged 30 and over (excluding births registered solely by the mother).


Year All ages 30-34 35-39 40 and over

Numbers
2010
723,165
202,457
115,841
27,731
2009 706,248 191,600 114,288 26,976
2008 708,711 192,450 116,220 26,419
2007 690,013 191,124 115,380 25,350
2006 669,601 189,407 110,509 23,706
2005 645,835 188,153 104,113 22,246
2004 639,721 190,550 102,228 20,793
2003 621,469 187,214 97,386 19,080
2002 596,122 180,532 90,449 17,336
2001 594,634 178,920 86,495 16,260
2000 604,441 180,113 84,974 15,066

Between 2009 and 2010 there were increases in fertility rates of women at all ages except those aged under 20. The largest percentage increases were recorded for women aged 30–34 and 35–39 with fertility levels in both groups rising by 4.2 per cent.

For women aged 30–34 fertility rates rose from 113.1 births per thousand females aged 30–34 in 2009 to 117.8 in 2010. For women aged 35–39 fertility rates rose from 59.0 births per thousand females aged 35–39 in 2009 to 61.5 in 2010.

The fertility rate for women aged 40 and over increased by 3.9 per cent. This continues the trend of the last two decades, during which the number of live births to mothers aged 40 and over has nearly trebled, from 9,717 in 1990 to 27,731 in 2010.

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Birth statistics for Scotland
Birth statistics for Northern Ireland

Is there a "right" time to have a baby?

For some women the "right" time to have a baby may be in her twenties which, physically, is the optimum time for a woman to become pregnant. At this age she is fully-grown and sufficiently mature enough to cope with having a baby, being supple and flexible enough, with plenty of energy.

Until recently a woman over 30 having her first baby was referred to as an "elderly primigravida". However, more and more women are choosing to start their families later in life and feel no desperate rush to do so until well into their thirties. Apart from physical factors, older mothers often feel more settled and more ready in themselves to have a baby. This is possibly due to already having had career and leisure opportunities, so they may be more ready and willing than their younger counterparts to make the necessary sacrifices that having a baby inevitably means. Increasing maturity also means they are perhaps better able to cope with the emotional and financial aspects involved too.

Whatever you are seeking, whether it's researching health information or you simply want reassurance, hopefully you will find what you are looking for here. Or perhaps you just want to share your thoughts with other other older mums? Undoubtedly, there's someone, somewhere, who is experiencing the same things as you ...