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In major US cities like San Francisco, Boston, and New York, the average age for a woman to have her first child is over 30. That’s only the average: Some women are becoming moms at 40 just like others are becoming moms at 20. And it’s only for the first child: If a woman’s first child is at 32, she may be having more children throughout her 30s and even into her 40s. All in all, in the US today, having a baby at age 35 or older is completely normal. So why do doctors call it “advanced maternal age?”
Perhaps the term isn’t the most flattering, but “advanced maternal age” refers to an important threshold when it comes to being pregnant. Age 35 is when risks for certain complications tend to go up. This is far from meaning that having a baby in the latter half of your 30s is a no-go. Rather, it means your provider will monitor your pregnancy more closely and recommend that you take some additional precautions.
