Too old to have a baby? ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Hello. This is 6 Minute

English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Neil. And I'm Beth.

Women today are having fewer babies. More women are delaying having children

until their forties -

the period of ten years in life

between 40 and 49, and some women

are giving birth in their fifties, their sixties, even their seventies!

There are many reasons behind the trend for older mums,

including better access to education and careers.

But there are also health risks to having children later in life.

So in this programme, we'll be asking

when are you too old to have a baby?

And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

But first

I have a question for you, Neil.

In 2019, Mangayamma Yaramati

gave birth to twins in the state of Andhra Pradesh,

South India. But these were no ordinary twins

because Mangayamma was the oldest recorded woman ever to give birth.

So, how old was the oldest ever

mum when she gave birth?

Was she a) 53 years old? b) 63 years old?

or c) 73 years old?

I'm going to guess 63.

OK, Neil. We'll find out the correct answer at the end of the programme.

Professor of Reproductive Science at University College London, Joyce

Harper, has been studying the trend of women choosing to have babies later

in life. Here

she shares her discoveries with BBC

World Service programme, Global Story.

Ten, 20, 30 years ago, women were having children at a much younger age.

Now it's become quite normal for women in their thirties,

as we see with the world

data, there's many countries where women have their first birth

over the age of 30.

But this is quite a new phenomena... that's why this term 'geriatric mother'

unfortunately still lingers.

Professor Harper uses the word phenomena to describe the trend for

older mothers. Phenomena are unusual or significant facts and events that exist

and are talked about. People often get this wrong, but the plural is phenomena

and the singular is phenomenon. The concept of older mothers is still quite a

new phenomenon and attitudes towards them are changing.

Mothers over the age of 35 used to be called 'geriatric', a word

many found offensive. Fortunately, this term is no longer used,

but social disapproval of older mothers still lingers. If something lingers

it continues to exist for

longer than usual or expected.

Yes. In some cultures,

older mothers are still disapproved of. But

wait a minute, Neil –

it takes two to make a baby!

What's the man's role in all of this?

Well, unlike women, whose ability to naturally get pregnant declines sharply

in their forties, men's fertility lasts longer.

Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger famously had his eighth child

with his 29-year-old partner at the age of 73.

So are older fathers, more socially acceptable than older mothers?

‘Yes’ thinks Professor Harper, as she explained to BBC

World Service's, Global Story.

We do have a bit of a gender problem

here because if this was a man in his sixties, seventies

and even eighties, and he's fathered a child,

most people would pat him on the back. But they'd probably pat him

on the back because he's absolutely got a much younger partner.

But if we've got a woman in her sixties, seventies

or, God forbid, eighties having a child, then

it does have a sort of shock reaction, and makes people feel uncomfortable.

Professor Harper thinks

that society is more accepting of older fathers than older mothers.

A 70-year-old man can still father a child –

he can make a woman pregnant

who then gives birth, and most people would pat him on the back,

an idiom meaning give someone praise or congratulations.

On the other hand, says Professor Harper,

God forbid a woman having a baby in her eighties! Here, the phrase

God forbid! is used as a way of saying you hope something will not

happen. There's another side to this story, though.

In the west, young women from Gen Z,

the generation born

since the year 2000, are saying they won't have children

at all. In more traditional countries

meanwhile, a woman's role is as a mother, and many pray to God

to be blessed with a child. Which is exactly what happened to

Mangayamma Yaramati, the South Indian woman

I asked you about in my question, Neil.

In 2019,

she became the oldest recorded woman ever to give birth.

Right. And I guessed she was 63 years old at the time.

Which was...the wrong answer. I'm afraid.

In fact, she was even older -

73.

OK, let's recap the vocabulary

we've learnt in this programme, starting with the phrase

in your forties, which describes the period of ten years

in someone's life when they are aged between 40 and 49.

Phenomena describes any significant

facts or events that we know exist

and can be observed and discussed.

If something lingers,

it continues to exist

longer than usual or expected. The verb to father means

to make a woman pregnant

who then gives birth to a child. The idiom

pat someone on the back is used to describe giving someone praise,

congratulations or encouragement.

And finally, the expression God forbid is a way

of saying that you hope something will not happen. Once again

our six minutes are up

but don't forget to join us again soon

for more trending topics and useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute

English. Goodbye for now.

Bye!