Money worries causing couples to put off having children
The number of middle-aged first-time parents in Britain looks likely to continue to rise as new figures have revealed many couples are putting off having children because of financial concerns.
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Worries over the cost of childcare, food, schooling and housing have caused millions of couples leaving it late to start a family, with some 25 per cent putting it off until their 40s.
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Worse still, hundreds of thousands of Brits in their 20s and 30s have simply ruled out having a family altogether.
According to a poll by the Sun on Sunday, 16 per cent of 25 to 39-year-olds are keen to start a baby within the next year, but will not because they are unable to afford the costs. A further nine per cent have put their dreams of a family on hold until they are more financially stable.
But the trend is cause for concern for medical experts and IVF researchers, with conception difficulties, pregnancy health risks for both mother and baby, stillbirths and miscarriages all more likely once a woman hits 35.
Despite the health risks involved, nearly half of all babies born in the UK are to women aged 30 or older, and the number of children born to women in their late 30s has almost trebled in recent years.
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Professor Mary Herbert, a leading reproductive biologist, told the Daily Mail: "The most important message is for women to have their babies before the clock strikes 12.
"I would be getting worried about my daughter if she hadn't had a child by 35."
Have you put off having a family because of money worries, or have you decided your financial situation means you'll never be able to have children? Leave your comments below...
