While the idea that a woman has a "prime" — as CNN anchor Don Lemon ludicrously suggested recently— is patently absurd, ageist and sexist, the biological deck is nevertheless undeniably stacked differently. While men have always enjoyed a lengthy span of time to accommodate the choice of if and when to have children, women are meanwhile categorized as being of "advanced maternal age" as soon as they're over 35. In recent years, though, advancements in fertility treatment have pushed the window of opportunity to conceive and bear children wider than ever. In just the past few weeks, 48-year-old celebrities Da Brat and Hilary Swank have happily shared their respective first-time pregnancies with the press. Last year, the Montefiore Medical Center ran a campaign featuring a brain tumor survivor who welcomed her youngest child at the age of 57.
But the reality of pregnancy and birth after the age of 40, 45 and even 50 — especially in the post Dobbs decision era — is complicated.
