Mean Age Moms Ladies in Waiting
Professor David J. Demko, PhD
AgeVenture News Service, 12-12-02
First-time Moms are exercising "wait control". That's right. American women are waiting longer and longer to begin their families, says the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In fact, the average age of a woman at first birth is up more than three years. Between 1970 and 2000, says the CDC, the average age increased from 24.6 to 27.2 years of age. That makes America's first time moms an average of 25 years old. This "rising maturity of motherhood" is coupled by another maturity trend that I call a 'baby boom - baby boom." In short, women in their mid-40's (boomers) are giving birth to their first child, creating a late-life baby boom. America's "mean age" moms have indeed become the nation's "ladies in waiting."
The increase in the average age of child birth reflects the recent downturn in the teen birth rate and the rising birth rates for women in their 30's and 40's says the CDC. The data is based on birth certificates filed in state vital statistics offices and reported to CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. This nationwide trend varies from state to state, and race to race. Mississippi reports the "youngest" first time moms, age 22-plus on average. Massachusetts has the "oldest"at 27-plus years.
Differences were even more pronounced when patterns were examined by race and Hispanic origin from 1989 (the first year detailed data are available) to 2000. Here's the year 2000 breakdown on the average age of American women at first birth.
- Japanese and Chinese: 30 years
- Hispanic (Cuba): 27 years
- White Non-Hispanic: 26 years
- Black Non-Hispanic: 22-plus years
- Hispanic (Puerto Rican and Mexican): 22 years
- American Indian: 21-plus years
Comparing international patterns, the report points to an increase in the average age at first birth in most of the developed countries; averages in 2000 ranged from 24 in the Slovak Republic to 29 in Switzerland. "Mean Age of Mother, 1970 to 2000" can be viewed or downloaded at the CDC Web Site at www.cdc.gov/nchs.
According to the CDC, several factors may account for the delay in childbearing, most importantly educational opportunities and career choices for women. From 1970 to 2000, the number of women completing college has nearly doubled and the number in the labor force has gone up by almost 40 percent. Changes in contraception use, economic cycles, social support and marriage patterns, says the CDC, should also be considered.
This "maturing of motherhood" trend isn't surprising says gerontologist Dr. David J. Demko, AgeVenture News.
"Sociologists have followed the maturing of social roles in Aging America for over 25 years". "Given the extraordinary 50% gain in life-expectancy during the last century," says Demko, "you might expect individuals to postpone entry into the roles of work, marriage, parenting, and retirement." "Afterall, today's Americans have the luxury of time, a 50% increase in the length of life. A much longer period of time to accomplish their life goals. Our ancestors, on the other hand, had a much shorter life-expectancy, 49 years on average back in 1900. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that the trend-setting baby boomers known as "zoomers" are reinventing the retirement stage of life. In 1900, workers spent an average of only 13 months in the "retirement" stage of life. Today, the average time spent in retirement is 15 years. That's a one-thousand percent increase, in case your counting."
Now back to the "maturing motherhood" trend. There are also increasing numbers of late-life moms. That's right. At a time generally known as the "empty nest" period of life, some boomers are saying "fill'er up". The birthrate for women aged 40 to 44 increased 81 percent between 1980 and 1995. Of course, every new opportunity presents a new challenge.
Faced with a first-time parenting experience, these boomer moms need all the help they can get. For example,
older first-time mother, Nancy London, gave birth to her first child in her 44th year. Nancy combed the bookshelves in search of support and guidance for some of the emotional and physical challenges she faced. Alas, the cupboard was bare. Most parenting books were written for much younger women, while books on midlife assumed the female reader had grown children.
The next day, Nancy ran an ad in her local newspaper to start a support group for first-time moms over forty, and her phone didn't stop ringing. A short time later, Nancy authored a self-help book for first time boomer moms, "Hot Flashes, Warm Bottles" (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California, 2001). Here's what readers will find in this helpful resource at your retail bookstore or local public library.
- tips for renewing physical and sexual energy,
- parenting after infertility and adoption,
- balancing career and family,
- caring for elderly parents, and
- personal stories from older moms.
Enjoy your first child. In the meantime, the rest of us empty-nest boomers will enjoy our new freedom, peace,
and quiet. A celestial existence to be savored before the silence is broken by our "first time" grandkids blazing their way through the house. Thank goodness these kids are "returnable" to the other home from whence they came.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
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