MODERN moth­er­hood

Whether pre­vent­ing future regrets, wait­ing to find the right part­ner or focus­ing on careers and fin­an­cial sta­bil­ity first, more women over 40 are becom­ing first-time moms. While birth rates are down in the United States and across the globe, fer­til­ity rates have risen among Amer­ican women 40 and older. From 2023 to 2024, birth rates declined for women aged 15-34, were unchanged for women aged 35-39 and rose 2% for women aged 40-44, accord­ing to the most recent data released in July of 2025.

Because some women are wait­ing longer to start hav­ing kids, Amer­ica’s declin­ing fer­til­ity rate “may not be as big as it seems,” said Emily Oster, an eco­nom­ics pro­fessor at Brown Uni­versity and CEO of Par­ent­Data, a par­ent­ing research forum. There’s a chance the United States sees more births in the next sev­eral years, she said, though women who become first-time moms in their 40s still face bar­ri­ers.

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