Maria Kubacki, CanWest News Service
For www.canada.com

Celebrities make it look easy to have a baby when you’re in your late 30s, or even into your 40s. There’s even a website dedicated to older celebrity mothers, mothersover40.com.


Writer J.K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series, wasn’t quite 40, but close — according to the website, she had a baby at 39.

Other older celebrity mothers include Madonna, who had a baby when she was 41. Actress Jane Seymour had twins at 44. Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, had a baby at 45. And ’70s supermodel Cheryl Tiegs had twins at 52.

But to be fertile at such an advanced age is hardly the norm. According to the Canadian Health Network, age is one of the biggest factors in infertility.

More and more Canadian women are delaying starting a family in order to further their education or get established in their career.

A 2005 Health Canada report shows that between 1976 and 2002, the average age of first-time mothers increased from 23.4 years to 27.7 years. In the same period, the proportion of first-time mothers aged 30 and over increased from nine per cent to 34 per cent.

But the longer you wait, the smaller your chances of conceiving. For women, fertility begins to decline slightly by the mid- to late-twenties, according to the Canadian Health Network. And by the time a woman is in her mid-thirties, her chances of getting pregnant are about half what they were when she was in her mid- to late-twenties.

The Canadian Health Network website also lists other causes of infertility including damaged or blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, ovulation problems and polycystic ovary syndrome for women. Among men, the most common problems include abnormal sperm production or function, impaired delivery of sperm and erectile problems.

Infertility is caused 50 per cent of the time by problems with the woman’s reproductive system and 35 per cent of the time by the man’s reproductive system. Five per cent of the time, infertility is caused by a rare medical problem. About 10 per cent of the time, no reason can be found for the infertility problems.

A couple is considered infertile after regularly engaging in unprotected, well-timed intercourse or insemination for one year without becoming pregnant.

About 60 per cent of couples who have regular intercourse will conceive within six months, 80 per cent within nine months and 85 per cent within one year.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites