71% increase in women giving birth 40 years+
Births are becoming more complex. If we look at the age of mothers as an indicator of complexity, then in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the number of births to women aged over 40 years has increased by more than 50% since the start of the century.
With more mothers giving birth later in life, these mothers bring with them greater expectations and aspirations about childbirth.
Between 2001 and 2010, the number of births to women aged 40 or over rose by 71%. Read this BBC article on older new mums