Older motherhood and the changing life course in the era of assisted reproductive technologies

Abstract

Midlife, once a focus of particular interest to gerontologists because of its implications for later life, has recently received little attention. But as new reproductive technologies have expanded in the United States, motherhood is occurring at older ages. While older motherhood is not a new social practice, what is unique is that an increasing number of women are becoming pregnant through technological means, often for the first time, at the end of their reproductive cycle. These women can be understood as part of a new middle age, engaging in new life course possibilities that respond to changing social, cultural, physical, and economic realities, and potentially extending much later in the life course. Drawing on interviews with 79 couples, we utilize symbolic interactionist conceptualizations of identity and stigma to consider how women negotiate the shifting social identities associated with older motherhood. We conclude that older motherhood will be one phenomenon contributing to an enduring change in views of what constitutes old age, and that it will be seen as occurring much later in the life course.

The Timing of Pregnancy: Women’s Interpretations of Planned and Unplanned Pregnancy

“…The definition of being "too old" is contested as more and more women decide to pursue mothering at an older age (Gregory 2007;Friese et al 2008). These women are usually well-educated and financially secure (Berryman 1991;Gregory 2007), and, depending on their age, may blend visibly and socially with mothers who are perceived to have children at a socially appropriate time.…”

“…The age, marital status, and socio-economic status of the mother often define social attitudes towards pregnancy (Berryman 1991;Litt 2000;Friese, Becker, and Nachtigall 2008). Women who do not fit the "norm" can be stigmatized as mothers of questionable value (Woollett 1991;Douglas and Michaels 2004).…”

“…Women who do not fit the "norm" can be stigmatized as mothers of questionable value (Woollett 1991;Douglas and Michaels 2004). A set of social indicators of appropriate mothering suggests that women should not be "too young" or "too old" during childbearing; they should not be "too poor," "too sick," or have "too many children" (Friese et al 2008). The socially constructed notions of motherhood in western society suggest that the desire to have children is rooted in "natural," biological instincts of women (Phoenix and Woollett 1991), yet the reproductive practices are expected to be controlled by women and meticulously planned.…”

Genre, parenté et techniques de reproduction assistée : bilan et perspectives après 30 ans de recherche

“…En effet, le don d'ovules peut non seulement bouleverser l'ordre des générations, par exemple lorsqu'une femme porte l'ovule fécondé de sa fille, mais aussi prolonger les capacités reproductives au-delà des limites biologiques, même parfois après la ménopause (Friese, Becker et Nachtigall, 2008). Les techniques de cryopréservation amplifient désormais ces possibilités et ouvrent la voie à de nouvelles questions.…”

Ovules vieillissants, mères sans âge? Infertilité féminine et recours au don d’ovocytes en Suisse

“…Pourtant, loin des cas extraordinaires de grossesses postménopausales, l'âge moyen des femmes commençant un traitement de procréation médicalement assistée ne cesse d'augmenter -36,4 ans selon les dernières statistiques (SSMR 2012) -et un nombre croissant de femmes dans la quarantaine se rendent à l'étranger pour recourir au don d'ovocytes 2 . Si le phénomène des maternités tardives n'a ni l'ampleur statistique, ni la nouveauté, ni le caractère homogène que lui attribuent les médias (Bessin et Levilain, 2012), je soutiens en suivant Friese et al (2006Friese et al ( , 2008, que les « potentialités » (Taussig et al, 2013) d'extension de la fertilité féminine ouvertes par le don d'ovocytes participent à un processus de reconfiguration des limites d'âge de la maternité et des définitions du vieillissement reproducteur.…”