Abstract
BackgroundThe trend to delay motherhood to the age of 30 and beyond is established in most high-income countries but relatively little is known about potential effects on maternal emotional well-being. This study investigates satisfaction with life during pregnancy and the first three years of motherhood in women expecting their first baby at an advanced and very advanced age.MethodsThe study was based on the National Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Data on 18 565 nulliparous women recruited in the second trimester 1999–2008 were used. Four questionnaires were completed: at around gestational weeks 17 and 30, and at six months and three years after the birth. Medical data were retrieved from the national Medical Birth Register. Advanced age was defined as 32–37 years, very advanced age as ≥38 years and the reference group as 25–31 years. The distribution of satisfaction with life from age 25 to ≥40 years was investigated, and the mean satisfaction with life at the four time points was estimated. Logistic regression analyses based on generalised estimation equations were used to investigate associations between advanced and very advanced age and satisfaction with life when controlling for socio-demographic factors.ResultsSatisfaction with life decreased from around age 28 to age 40 and beyond, when measured in gestational weeks 17 and 30, and at six months and three years after the birth. When comparing women of advanced and very advanced age with the reference group, satisfaction with life was slightly reduced in the two older age groups and most of all in women of very advanced age. Women of very advanced age had the lowest scores at all time points and this was most pronounced at three years after the birth.ConclusionFirst-time mothers of advanced and very advanced age reported a slightly lower degree of satisfaction with life compared with the reference group of younger women, and the age-related effect was greatest when the child was three years of age.
Highlights
The trend to delay motherhood to the age of 30 and beyond is established in most high-income countries but relatively little is known about potential effects on maternal emotional well-being
Compared with the reference group, the following characteristics were more common in women of advanced and very advanced age: high body mass index (p < 0.001), in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) pregnancy (p < 0.001), instrumental vaginal delivery (p < 0.001), caesarean section (p < 0.001), preterm birth (p < 0.001) and newborn transfer to neonatal clinic (p < 0.001)
During the first three time points, Satisfaction with life (SWL) increased from the age of 25 years to 28 years, and decreased more or less continuously to ≥40 years
Summary
The trend to delay motherhood to the age of 30 and beyond is established in most high-income countries but relatively little is known about potential effects on maternal emotional well-being. This study investigates satisfaction with life during pregnancy and the first three years of motherhood in women expecting their first baby at an advanced and very advanced age. The trend to delay motherhood to the age of 30 and beyond is well established in most high-income countries [1]. In Norway the mean age of first-time mothers increased from 23 years in 1970 to 28 years in 2012 (www.ssb.no). Despite their declining chances to experience was more common in the older women, even though they seemed to manage better than the younger, for instance with having an operative vaginal delivery [8]. Besides being a desirable outcome it is shown to predict future health, the quality of people’s social life and functioning [12,13], and future life events, such as divorce [14]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
