Experts have seen a shift to late first-time births in American women, attributing it to societal changes and advances in medicine. The choice to pursue higher levels of education, focus on careers, marrying at a later age, and recognizing the financial realities of motherhood are also factors deterring many women from becoming young moms.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center, first-time mothers are older than they were four decades ago; in 2012, there were more than nine times as many first births to mothers 35 and older than there were in the 1970s. The report also indicated that over the past two decades first birth rates rose for older women of all races and Hispanic origins. The report failed to outline the reasons behind the trend, though it may have a great deal to do with economics.

While women have decided to hold off on motherhood, pregnancy has become more accessible for women who have difficulty conceiving thanks to enhancements to fertility technology and health care, which is beneficial to women who are waiting to become parents. To understand why women are holding off does not mean that one understands that the decision has implications on both a personal and national level.

"When a woman has her first child that can influence how many children she is going to have in the future. If you're 44 and this is your first baby, you may not have more children in the future. So it effects what's going to happen in the population, it affects the size of the population, the future growth of the population, as well as the composition of the population," said Dr. Joanne Stone, director of maternal fetal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

The first birth rates for women between the ages 35 to 39 increased six-fold from 1973 to 2006, from 1.7 to 10.9 per 1,000 women. These numbers dipped in the four years to follow and then rose again in 2012. Also, the first birth rate for women ages 40 to 44, quadrupled from 1985 through 2012, from 0.5 to 2.3 per 1,000 women. The biggest increase in the number of older first-time mothers was among non-Hispanic black women and non-Hispanic white women, who experienced a 171 percent and 130 percent increase between 1990 and 2012 for women ages 40 to 49. The District of Columbia, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming experienced the biggest increases in first-time mothers ages 35 to 39. Women, overall, are becoming more comfortable with the idea that later motherhood is a safe and realistic option, while many others are still aware of the risks that late motherhood introduces. Women who wait are more likely to have stillbirths, pre-term births, C-sections, babies born with chromosomal abnormalities, and mothers are more likely to develop high blood pressure and diabetes.

Nonetheless, millennials, including many Latinas, are still willing to risk late first births, as they are plagued with the "Latina millennial problem": having to support and take care of family while attending school and working. Birth control or abortions, if necessary, are options sought by second and third generation Latinas who are in pursuit of the dreams that their parents came to America realize. With grand ambitions, many Latina millennials have adopted a new order of understanding: grades, grad school, career, marriage, and then children. Latina millennials who are ready for marriage and children are postponing getting pregnant because of the economy, staggering student debt, and fear that they'll live like their parents did.

"I saw my parents struggle, and I don't really want to have to do that," said Dominican-American Patricia Valoy, a 27-year-old Colombia University graduate. "We're better off than our parents, but we're not ready for different reasons."

Lowering the first birth age of women could be done in numerous ways, including positioning women to be able to afford having children. White women continue to make only 77 cent on each dollar compared to white men; African-American women make only 62 cents; and Hispanic women make a meager 54 cents. Examining and addressing the wage gap will make a world of difference for all women and mothers. Failure to address the wage gap will have numerous consequences, which include the postponing or dismissal of motherhood, particularly for those who don't want to be bankrupted by it.

Related