Despatches from a mother who started late (and is running to catch up)

Blog to Book - Fashionably Late

I am writing Fashionably Late, an irreverent guide to having children later in life. Did you become a mother over 35? If so, and you'd like to tell me your story please contact me at mail@motheratlarge.com.

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Cue the Counterblast

Piece in the Telegraph today saying we are evolving to have more children later in life. To help us stay fertile longer we will be less troubled by diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart problems and obesity that occur in middle age and beyond.

Professor John Hawks, the anthropologist who led the team of scientists behind the research, told the paper that genes allowing us to stay fertile for longer, as we delay having children, seem more important than living longer in itself.

"The trend has been towards later reproduction," Hawks told the Telegraph. "Many people wait to have kids until they are in their late 30s to 40s. But very few people lived in their 40s more than 50,000 years ago. That's a big biological change. So genes that impede fertility at later ages must be experiencing stronger and stronger selection pressure."

Hawks continued: "The bottom line: people are unlikely to live much longer in the future - at least, due to genetic changes - but they are likely to be better at having kids older."

Music to my ears.

Posted 11 December 2007 11:54

Health News Older mother

Comments

Juliet said:

Oh what a very heartening article - and backed up by evidence of how some of our other biological processes have adapted, too. An excellent starting point for some sensible, well-informed 'backlash' against all the hysterical nonsense that we're read recently. Thanks for pointing it out. It feels so much better to think that, as an older mum, one's contributing beneficially to the gene-pool of humankind rather than simply being silly, careless, or even 'senile', per your previouso post!

Posted 11 December 2007 22:16

iota said:

How can there possibly be "genes that impede fertility at later ages"? Does he mean that if you have heart problems, diabetes, obesity etc, you won't reproduce because your health problems will interfere with the process? Doesn't that apply to loads of non-genetic diseases too? Isn't that the whole premise of selection of the fittest? Am I being thick here? Help me out M@L - I know I am old, but I like to think that I can still use my brain (and I have managed to reproduce too...)

Posted 12 December 2007 21:47

Helen said:

Juliet, yes, it was refreshing to read something more positive about older mums for once.

Iota, exactly, it's a Darwinian premise that the genes that allow people to be healthy and reproduce in their 30s/40s will multiply and prosper. At least I think so. Maybe I should ask Prof Hawks if he'll let me interview him for my book - that way we can be sure.

Posted 13 December 2007 14:08

Mother at Large

Welcome to this site. It's based on my personal experiences of becoming a mother a little later in life. If, like me, you waited a while to have children you're in good company. More and more of us are waiting until our late 30s or even 40s to become parents. Some might even say we're fashionably late.

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About me

Mother at Large dreams of crossing the Pyrenees with her young daughter. For now, getting to playgroup takes all her energy. To find out more read her full profile.