35 or older? You could have a geriatric pregnancy. What does that mean for your children?

Historically, most women have given birth long before age 35. To do so at 35 or later was indeed quite rare. Society has begun moving in a new direction, though. In this day and age, about 20% of women have what are known as 'geriatric pregnancies'.

Reasons for the changes can be chalked up to changing attitudes about women, for one; women have more freedom to pursue various paths as opposed to a rigid set of expectations. They are also making more use of contraceptives which are easier to get and are now less of a taboo.

Some complications do arise if women wait too long to decide to have children. Not only does fertility decrease with age, but treatments become less effective. Consider a 30-year-old. If she has a 20% chance of becoming pregnant each month, it's only about 5% by the time she reaches 40.

Older mothers run a higher risk of experiencing setbacks for themselves and their babies, partially because of the age of the mother's eggs. Miscarriages, chromosomal abnormalities, and a higher risk for Down's syndrome have all been noted. It's recommended that women have children in their prime childbearing years to have the greatest chance of a successful pregnancy.

(Source)