Taking time to opt for motherhood

For some women the "right" time to have a baby may be in her twenties.

However, more and more women are choosing to start their families later in life and feel no desperate rush to do so until well into their thirties, while some are not beginning motherhood until their forties.

Latest figures show that record numbers of women in their forties are becoming pregnant. The Office for National Statistics said the conception rate for women aged over 40 rose by more than six per cent, from 11.5 per 1,000 women in 2005 to 12.2 in 2006.

Linda Barnett is one such women who became a mother in her forties. She had her first child at the age of 47 and her second at 49.

"I guess I'm a late starter, although I never planned to leave it this long," says Linda, from Perton near Wolverhampton.

The 50-year-old feels that she's lived her life a bit back to front.

She married her Mr Right the day after her 41st birthday after spending her twenties and thirties mixing her career with a fun, carefree lifestyle.

"I'd hoped to be married at 40 but the nearest date available was the one just after I turned a year older," said the former insurance claims handler.

She'd actually dated her husband Calvin when she was 20.

"We were together for two years but we were younger, and it wasn't what I wanted at the time," she said.

Fast forward almost 20 years, and out of the blue he called her up.

"I took voluntary redundancy when I was 30 and went off to Greece for a few years with a couple of friends. We worked in restaurants and did seasonal jobs and had a great fun time," she said.

Not long after she returned, Calvin called her.

Six years later, the couple married and started trying for a baby straight away.

After having problems conceiving, the couple sought treatment at St Jude's Hospital fertility clinic in Wolverhampton.

Following three failed attempts with IVF, the couple turned to donor eggs, and Linda fell pregnant twice over two years.

She had daughter Isobella when she was 47 and had son Harrison when she was 49.

"I'd always wanted a family but I guess I was just a late starter. I think we show that you should never give up," she said. "I admit that it's hard work at times but I wouldn't change this for the world."

She added: "I realise that I'll be 70 when Harrison is 20-years-old but that doesn't bother me too much.

"I feel fit and healthy now, and if I continue to look after myself, I hope I'll be just as healthy in 20 years' time," she said.

Judy Thacker was 42 when she became a mother for the first time – and no-one was more shocked than she was.

"I really didn't expect it," she said. "It was a bolt out of the blue but at the same time it was a gift from the gods. I'd always felt that I was in no rush to start a family. I enjoyed my career, and I loved travelling, so there never seemed to be a right time," said 46-year-old Judy, whose job for BT saw her travelling all over the country.

"I remember going away for a weekend with my partner and feeling a bit strange. I thought I might be going through the change," said Judy, who lives in Codsall near Wolverhampton. "When I discovered I was pregnant, I almost fell through the floor," said Judy, who gave birth to son Reiss four years ago. "It was such a shock but a great joy at the same time," said Judy, who has since split up with Reiss's dad.

Judy decided not to return to work after her maternity leave. "I've had my career, I've done my travelling, and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Reiss," she said. And Judy recommends older motherhood to women over 40. "If you've had your career and your partying, you are more likely to feel more settled when you are in your 40s. And if you are fit and healthy, I can't see a problem with having a child later in life," she said.