"Overwhelmed by My 51-Year-Old Mother's Pregnancy"... Daughter Shares Her Concerns

Concerns Over Family Burden With Advanced Maternal Age

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As marriage and childbirth are increasingly delayed, the average age of mothers is also rising. Recently, a story about a woman in her 50s becoming pregnant and her daughter's concerns has sparked debate. While some see this as a matter of personal choice and a blessing, there are also many voices expressing concern about the caregiving burden that could be shifted onto other family members.

On June 12, various social media platforms saw the rapid spread of a post by a 26-year-old woman, identified as A, who revealed, "My 51-year-old mother is 13 weeks pregnant." A said, "I am amazed that this is even possible," and added, "My feelings are complicated because it seems my mother takes childbirth for granted. I felt so overwhelmed that I couldn't even sleep properly."

Family reactions are divided

She explained, "Honestly, I'm opposed to it because I'm worried that my mother's aging will accelerate and her health may decline after childbirth. But my father and younger brother congratulated her." She continued, "I really don't even know how to bring this up. My mother seems quite happy about it. But my biggest concern is her health, and I worry that I will inevitably have to participate in co-parenting the new baby."

People who read the story expressed a variety of opinions. Some pointed out, "Eventually, the child might have to take on the role of a parent," or "The caregiving burden could be shifted to other family members." Criticism was also raised that "The father and younger brother are simply offering congratulations while avoiding responsibility." On the other hand, many argued, "Childbirth is a personal choice," and "It is something to be celebrated."

Average childbirth age is 33.7 years... Number of mothers in their 40s continues to increase

In fact, the age at which women give birth continues to rise. According to Statistics Korea's "2024 Birth Statistics," the birth rate was highest among women in their early 30s, with 70.4 births per 1,000 people, followed by those in their late 30s with 46.0, and women in their late 20s with 20.7. Compared to the previous year, the birth rate for women in their early 30s increased by 3.7, and for those in their late 30s by 3.0, whereas it decreased by 0.7 for women in their late 20s and by 0.2 for those in their early 40s. The average age of women at childbirth rose to 33.7 years, up 0.1 years from the previous year.

Additionally, according to an analysis of Ministry of Health and Welfare data by Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Hyunyoung, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee in 2023, the total number of births dropped from 424,717 in 2013 to 244,580 in 2022—a decrease of 42.4% (180,137 cases) over ten years. In contrast, the number of births among mothers in their 40s increased by over 40% during the same period. While births declined across all other age groups, only the number of births among mothers in their 40s increased, showing that the age at childbirth is gradually getting later.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.