Released on: 16 October 2013

Almost half of all births in England and Wales are to mothers age 30 and over. New figures from ONS show almost half of births in 2012 were to mothers in this age group.

In response to this, Senior Policy Adviser, NCT, Elizabeth Duff said: 

“The number of women giving birth over the age of 30 has risen steadily during the last decade. These women are often fit and well, and there is no reason the majority should not have a straightforward pregnancy and a healthy baby. 

“There are many reasons for women choosing to have their children later on in life, including parents waiting until they are best placed to welcome their baby into a financially stable family setting.

“Whatever age you have a baby, we know that it can be an exciting but overwhelming time, which is why it’s important that parents are offered consistent, high quality care from health and social care professionals throughout their pregnancy and in the months after the birth, as well as social and emotional support from local networks and peer groups.”

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