# Just thought I'd mention - older moms live longer!



## SabrinaKat

I read today that us older mums/moms who have our little ones later, e.g. after 30, 35, etc (I got lucky a naturally at 44!), tend to live longer - 

_A new study found that women who have kids after age 33 are twice as likely to live to 95 or older than those who stopped having babies earlier

Waiting a few years to start your family may give you some unexpected benefits, according to a new study.

Women who are able to give birth after the age of 33 tend to live longer than those who stopped having children before age 30, according to a study from the Boston University School of Medicine.

Of course this does not mean women should wait to have children at older ages in order to improve their own chances of living longer, the studys co-author Thomas Perls, a professor of medicine at BU, said. The age at last childbirth can be a rate of aging indicator. The natural ability to have a child at an older age likely indicates that a womans reproductive system is aging slowly, and therefore so is the rest of her body.

The study, published in the journal Menopause, did not prove causation but it did find that women gave birth after age 33 had twice the odds of living to 95 years or older than those who had their last child by age 29.

Researchers said the link exists because gene variations that enable women to have babies by natural means at a later age may also be tied to living longer lives. If a woman has those variants, she is able to reproduce and bear children for a longer period of time, increasing her chances of passing down those genes to the next generation, Perls said.

Previous studies have turned up similar results to this one. An earlier study from the New England Centenarian Study found that women who had children after the age of 40 were four times more likely to live to 100 than women who had their last child at a younger age.

More research is still needed, according to Perls. The information found in this study shows the importance of research about genetic influences and reproductive fitness, because these trends can affect susceptibility to age-related disease._ from Time magazine

and take a look at the second to last paragraph: women who had children after the age of 40 were four times more likely to live to 100 (!), so for any other ancient moms -- hehehe


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## CaliDreaming

This is an awesome article. Thanks for posting. This makes a lot more sense than the general consensus that women are over the hill when it comes to childbearing the second we turn 35.


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## tryfor2

Thanks, that's good to know. It certainly was true for DH's grandmother--she had her fifth child around age 42 and lived to be almost 106!


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## gingmg

I saw that too! See, just one more reason I'm glad I waited.


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## StranjeGirl

woohoo! This one is do a month shy of my 40th. Darn! I may only make it to 99 ha ha!


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## Venus13

oh brilliant! Seriously after reading the article, it makes sense.


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## Christinee

Awesome news! thanks for the info. :D


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## GalvanBaby

Awesome article! It makes sense, OH's grandma is 86, and still dancing! She had her youngest at 42 or 43!

I will be 36 when I have this one.


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## AnneD

That's great. At the same time, though, I find it depressing because I feel stuck and the thought of living that long is unbearable. 

Must focus on the positive and please god may my antidepressants finally work!


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## April76

That sounds good, i had my son at 36 and turned 37 two weeks later. We had to have IVF and when i got tested i was found to be still very fertile.


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## dan-o

Wow excellent article!


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## J22

wow, this just made my day...100, here I come, hehe!!


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## Scout

YAY!! I had my first and only (naturally) at age 46 so I guess I'll live to be 110 or something LOL


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## cheree89

So interesting! My family on both sides is really long lived so maybe I shouldn't be surprised to be pregnant at 40/41.


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