2023-12-15 15:32:53
by Chiara Bidoli
Can a child after 40 be considered the new normal, a lucky event or a conscious choice?
Sienna Miller, pregnant with her second daughter at 41, responded to prejudice and criticism about her second pregnancy during an event in London by saying that she feels psychologically more ready than she did 11 years ago, when her firstborn Marlowe was born, and who considers herself very lucky because she wasn’t trying to get pregnant. Can pregnancies over 40, like that of the actress, be considered the new normal or are they considered lucky cases after 40? To try to answer these questions we need a broad vision that can help women, increasing their scientific knowledge on issues related to fertility to increase their awareness and, therefore, make them truly free to choose.
It is a fact that women have children later than previous generations. If we look at the Italian data, the decline in births continues year after year (in 2022 by 1.7% compared to the previous year, source Istat). The share of births to mothers over 40 more than doubled between 2001 and 2019 in all member states of the European Union and in Italy, accounting for approximately 8.9% of births. Postponing the birth of the first child depends on a greater awareness and sense of responsibility of couples and women when faced with the choice of a reproductive plan – explains Rosetta Papa, gynecologist from Naples -. There is, however, a fundamental premise to make: not all women postpone the birth of their first child for the same reason. Women who legitimately have the possibility of pursuing career goals and therefore professional fulfillment are in the position of having to postpone the reproductive desire to withstand the competition with the male universe. This sacrosanct ambition is often criticized by blaming women for the lack of birth rate and is a dangerous accusation as it reveals a stale, if not reactionary, quality that refers to the vision of the woman who is the angel of the hearth and above all instinctively endowed with a maternal sense. And on this we need a change of perspective that goes beyond the stereotype that is constantly presented to us. Chelsea Conaboy in her book Mother Brain has demonstrated data in hand that parenting is not an automatic instinct, as it develops through experience and this should make us reflect.
Another situation is represented by the more fragile economic and social contexts. In this dimension, women pay a very high price from all points of view. Linda Sabbadini (editor’s note: former central director of Istat) in her research has dedicated a lot of attention to the issue of “women and work” and from the study of the data more than disconcerting situations have emerged to the detriment of women, such as for example that “in 15 years on average, a woman with children increases her salary by 50% less than those who remain childless” to which are added the almost total absence of nursery schools, the poor home-work conciliation policies and the lack of a welfare system that can To define it as such, I would say that women and couples perfectly decline the mandate of a state law which states in its incipit “for conscious and responsible motherhood. So procrastinating the birth of a child is not always a choice but rather a necessity. We must keep in mind that, although there is no longer any correspondence between biology and the socio-economic context we live in, a woman’s follicular baggage is decreasing over the years, and represents a problem for female fertility. Just as it would be necessary to give more information on the possible risks of a pregnancy over 40 without, however, shifting the responsibility onto the “irresponsible” women who today are alone and confused and do not always have the possibility and tools to choose, concludes Pope.
The possibility of increasing female empowerment is at stake on the issue of scientific, non-demagogic and accessible to all information.
Women need to know the rules of the game. We can get angry with the state that doesn’t help, with men who are immature, with bad luck, but it must no longer happen that 42-43 year old women come to the studio looking – desperately – for their first child, unaware of the limits, due to their age. biological, fertility. This means that they did not receive the correct information or that it arrived “wrong” – explains Edgardo Somigliana, director of the Emergency Department and Obstetric-Gynecological Acceptance and Medically Assisted Procreation, Policlinico di Milano -. Reading in the media about famous women who announce their pregnancy at 45-50 saying they were lucky is a lie. Which does not mean not rejoicing at the happy news but certain statements should be omitted which make people think that it is all natural, easy and painless because this is a profoundly false and harmful message for other women who, instead, need to know how things really are so as not to create false illusions and have time to choose.
What is the age limit for fertility? What possibilities, in addition to cryopreservation – which, however, must be thought of by young people – for those who would like a child in their old age? The average age at which a woman loses the ability to have children is around 41 years old, half lose it earlier and the other half perhaps lose it a little later, but it should be noted that fertility decreases over the years and that, if It is very rare to lose fertility completely before the age of 39, it is truly exceptional to be able to conceive naturally at 44. Be careful, however, that the loss of fertility has nothing to do with menopause, which can arrive 10-15 years later, and has nothing to do with being fertile or not. It should be made clear: even if you have regular cycles it does not mean you are fertile. Even if the oocyte ovulates, over time it no longer has all the power necessary to make a baby: a quality problem.
Another big misunderstanding is to think that PMA can intervene on the quality of oocytes. As an “age” therapy, classic PMA is useless, after a certain age – variable individually but practically for everyone after the age of 44 – the only possibility is heterologous fertilization, which involves the donation of oocytes. It is also necessary to inform women that with increasing age the classic obstetric risks increase, such as preeclampsia (gestosis), prematurity and growth retardation. Pregnancy puts a woman’s body to the test and, as the years pass, the more complications increase. From a natural point of view, if the heterologous factor does not come into play, fertility tends to run out with increasing age which also determines, and proportionally, an increase in risks, continues Somigliana.
To overcome stereotypes, taboos and false beliefs, it is important to focus on correct information from a young age. Fertility must be explained well to everyone, thus giving the possibility to freely choose what to do with their life. a bit like smoking. Everyone knows that smoking can cause lung cancer, and that the incidence rate between smoking and lung cancer is high, then there are exceptions. In any case, knowing this allows you to choose whether to take on this risk. A pregnancy at 41 is good news, but not “the norm”. Sienna Miller is rightly happy because, despite being 41 years old, she is one of those few lucky women who manage to have a child naturally over 40, concludes Somigliana.
Corriere della Sera also on Whatsapp. sufficient click here to subscribe to the channel and always be updated.
December 15, 2023 (changed December 15, 2023 | 3:59 pm)
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
#child #late #debate #Sienna #Millers #announcement #time.news