How Does a Mom's Age Affect Pregnancy?
Nov. 6 -- Shonda Prince-Hall just turned 27 years old, she is 5 ½ months pregnant, and she also represents a very common statistic.
Most babies born in the United States have mothers who are between the ages of 25 and 29. Like most women in their 20s, Prince-Hall had no trouble conceiving.
At her age, Prince-Hall's chances were 50-50 at the most fertile peak of her cycle. She is not too concerned about her health.
"The fact that we're young, I think, also adds to the fact that I feel pretty safe with this pregnancy," Prince-Hall told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.
This Thursday, Good Morning America will be visiting hospitals around the country and going into the delivery room with couples who are about to have babies. It's part of a "Baby, Oh, Baby" special broadcast.
One trend is obvious: More women in the United States are having children than at any time in almost 30 years — across the board in all age groups. But having a baby in your 20s is not the same as having one in your 30s or 40s.
Only 10 percent of women between 25 and 29 have miscarriages. At 27, Prince-Hall is at low risk for complications, like hypertension, and compared to older moms-to-be, she has half the risk of developing gestational diabetes. As a mom, she thinks her youth will pay off.
"I just think that energy plays a big factor in having a child at a younger age," Prince-Hall said.
Although she may have more energy than an older mother, she will have fewer resources. Most 20-something mothers elect to return to the work force and juggle motherhood, too. Many of them can't afford to stay home.
"I don't want to neglect my career," Prince-Hall said. "I feel that I'm in my prime, and I'm ready and I'm excited."
Pregnant at 30-Something
Kelly Kennedy is 33 and four months pregnant with twins. Age 33 used to be considered "advanced maternal age" in medicine, but things have changed. Now birthrates for women in their 30s are at their highest levels in three decades, and one woman in five now has her first child after age 35.
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