LAST UPDATE | 7 Nov

A RECORD 408 babies were born to women aged 45 and older in 2023, it emerged this week.

The average age at which women give birth has increased from 32 to 33 in the space of a decade, while the number of women in their 40s having babies is climbing rapidly.

What’s behind the trend?

Many factors may be at play. It’s clear that waiting to have children allows many people to get on a steadier economic footing: advancing a career and buying a home takes time, particularly in the current housing crisis. Maternity benefit is paid for just six months and childcare – despite government promises – is difficult to secure and expensive.

Cultural norms are changing. People may be taking time to decide whether they really want a baby – or taking time to do all the things they want to do that they can’t with kids. 

The decision to delay obviously carries a big risk, as fertility declines with time. Some people may end up having fewer children than they had hoped to, or may not be able to get pregnant.

We want to hear from you

If you delayed having kids, or had your kids later than you had expected to or hoped to, we want to hear from you.

• What were the factors that influenced your decision? 
• When you started trying for a baby did things go smoothly? 
• Would you make the same decision again? 

Please get in touch by emailing answers@thejournal.ie and telling us about your experiences.

Please include your name, age and county, and let us know if you would like to remain anonymous.

We’ll reflect your stories in a future article on this subject.