When actress Anne Hathaway announced her third pregnancy on June 19 at the age of 43, fans celebrated the news across social media.
Best known to many as Catwoman and the star of The Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway’s announcement was more than another celebrity milestone.
It also drew attention to a growing global trend: more women are choosing to become mothers later in life.
In obstetric medicine, pregnancy after the age of 35 is referred to as Advanced Maternal Age (AMA).
While many women in this age group experience healthy pregnancies and give birth to healthy babies, the likelihood of certain complications increases as maternal age rises.
As more women delay childbirth for education, careers and financial stability, understanding those risks has become increasingly important.
Hathaway herself has spoken candidly about pregnancy loss. Reflecting on a miscarriage in a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, she said: “It’s really hard to want something so much and to wonder if you’re doing something wrong.”
Her experience mirrors one faced by many women.
Research has consistently shown that the risk of miscarriage increases with maternal age, particularly during the first trimester.
As women grow older, both egg quality and chromosomal abnormalities become more common, raising the chances of spontaneous pregnancy loss.
Miscarriage, however, is only part of the picture.
A 2025 study comparing pregnancies in women aged 40 and above with those under 40 found significantly higher rates of pregnancy-related complications among the older group.
Nearly three-quarters delivered by cesarean section, while preterm birth, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and postpartum haemorrhage were all more common.
Researchers also observed a higher incidence of chromosomal abnormalities among babies born to older mothers.
Why does age matter?
Pregnancy places extraordinary demands on the body.
The mother’s heart and blood vessels must adapt to pump substantially more blood to support both the placenta and the growing fetus.
As women age, these physiological adaptations may become less efficient, increasing the risk of complications such as restricted fetal growth and placental problems.
Yet medical experts are careful to emphasise that age is a risk factor, not a certainty.
Many women over 35, and even over 40, go on to have uncomplicated pregnancies, particularly when they receive early prenatal care, regular monitoring and appropriate medical support.
The issue also carries growing relevance for Bangladesh.
For decades, the country’s maternal health challenges centred on early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
But demographic patterns are gradually changing.
Rising levels of female education, greater workforce participation and increasing economic independence are encouraging many women -- particularly in urban areas -- to postpone marriage and their first pregnancy.
Analyses of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey similarly show that women with higher education are more likely to delay childbirth.
As motherhood increasingly begins later in life for many women, healthcare systems must adapt alongside these social changes.
Advanced maternal age should not be viewed as a barrier to pregnancy, but as a stage that often requires closer medical attention.
Anne Hathaway’s announcement reminds us that motherhood has no single timeline.
It also underscores an important reality: while many women safely welcome children later in life, informed decisions and quality prenatal care become more important than ever.