Why did the stork delay its jorney?


ISYANI always dreamed with facing motherhood during her early youth: "That gives me the opportunity to still be blooming when my child is a boy, then we will have the opportunity to share activities, attending parties and camping together ..." she says.
  Today, with 37, she is mother of a boy of fifteen and a girl of seven. Certain times of the University when she split between feeding, washing diapers, attending classes and preparing to the state exam are asleep in a remote site of her memory.
  For some people, the maturity gained by women over 35 years represents an advantage for delaying childbearing. However, Miriam, her classmate, preferred to wait till the end of the University, so that she was able to continue post-graduate studies to consolidate her career, which gave her some economic and professional benefits.
  When Miriam considered the right time had come, she wanted a child. Some people criticized the fact: you are older than 35; they comment. But she turned a deaf ear to such arguments. Now, she alternates the long hours of work with the baby’s care.
  Which of the two options is wise? How the desire to procreate does is consistent with the economic conditions of women, in the current situation of Cuban with an increasing level of preparation? What psychosocial causes impact on the delaying of motherhood?


WHEN DOES THE FIRST BABY COME?

   "There is a tendency for late parity in the world, of which Cuba and Cienfuegos are not exempt", said Dr. Gabriel Gonzalez Jimenez, Specialist of 2nd. Degree in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
  "For decades, a considerable number of women assumed motherhood between 20 and 30 years old. Today, the percentage of those who have moved their parity from 30 to 40, even after has increased dramatically. This is not only due to the socioeconomic conditions of the country, and especially the family, but also for the need of achievement, those personal and professional levels have plotted the Cubans", he argues.
  This is supported by Odalys Sanchez Hernandez, who conceived her first child at 37. "I married for the first time when I was a teenager, we were very young and still studying. We lived with my mother, and my siblings", says the graduate in Health Technology, a mother of two boys aged five and seven.
   "That was a stage where I just focused on having fun and grow professionally. Then came the divorce and I was sorry for being alone and childless, if I have had at least one, the suffering would have been lower. Some time without a partner reminded me that no children would therefore already spent 35 and knew the risk to which would be exposed. I experienced bitter moments, but family and my new husband supported me when I did the first pregnancy. Had favorable physical conditions and well conceived one at 39, undoubtedly risky step", said Odalys.
  According to Dr. Gonzalez Jimenez, also president of the Cuban Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Chapter Cienfuegos, statistics show that fertility declines after age 30, and the possibility of complications for the pregnant and the child is raised.
   "The fetus is more susceptible to chromosomal abnormalities among them Down Syndrome, while mothers may surface diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and uterine fibroids. Those conditions conducive to complications such as malnutrition, loss or fetal death, along with prematurity, besides bringing the mother rigged difficult labor: bleeding, placental abnormalities and increased cessation, "says Gonzalez Jimenez.
   "Despite the risks", added the doctor, "the Cuban Health System has material and human conditions to ensure a pregnancy at least stormy possible and achieve it in all its fullness".

DAMOCLES' SWORD

 Late conception often hangs like a sword of Damocles in the day to day in one of five women worldwide. "In assessing what happens in other countries, Cuban society shows other attitudes with those who, by choice or health problems, take or fail to become mothers," argues Dr. Zenaida Saez, specialist of 2nd. Degree in Child Psychiatry.
  "In Africa, where I worked as part of an internationalist mission, women are born with the social function of reproductive care and feed the offspring. In the XXI century, the man rejects the couple when they can not get pregnant, regardless the reasons for null parity. In contrast, in Latin America and our nation, bringing children into the world represents a choice. Therefore, each person freely chooses when to have them" she says.
  Another aspect that affects the delayed parity is the increasing of the divorce rates. "More women decide to have children after the second marriage, believing in a new life to solidify the new relationship. Then tighten the challenges of over-the child, insecurity, anxieties inherent to maturity", says Dr. Saez.
  As stated, within Cuban society, families are nuclear and do not find many female relatives in the support networks to help with the decision. "Now grandmothers are professionals and do not agree to leave their responsibilities to address the role of grandmother / mother", emphasizes the specialist.

TWO PLUS TWO IS NOT ALWAYS FOUR

  No doubt that after the triumph of the Revolution, the picture of the women on the island changed considerably. After a long struggle to assert their rights, in January 1959, those born in the largest of the Antilles were great achievements, especially in the workplace.
The patriarchal model - where only the man was obliged to seek support for the family- was transformed when they opened the doors to study and work.
Then women got the opportunity to support their household finances, while housework conjugated with certain functions in society.
 At present, women represent 68.2 percent of the technical workforce in Cienfuegos, and a quantity exceeding 3 000 500 management positions. Such factors also affect the delay of conception of first child.
 To this, add some issues as the fact that even though from the social point of view Cuba functions as a first world nation in the economic sphere, it takes place in an underdeveloped country hence economic instability and lack of certain resources such as home ownership help turn back the clock of motherhood in the conscience of quite a few couples.

LATE MOTHERHOOD, WHY NOT?

  For some people, despite the risks, maternity takes benefits when it goes over the 35.
  The principal is in the maturity to deal with this important stage of life. They have the serenity that can only be achieved over the years to raise and educate their offspring.
  "With age, reaches a certain peace and serenity. That’s better for dealing with the difficulties or the inevitable moments of fatigue during pregnancy and during the initial moments of the new born", claims Sandra Solis, who gave birth to her first child at 36.
  Emma Sofia Morales shares similar opinion because she gave birth to her young daughter when she totaled 37 winters. "I believe women should not bear young. life is a must climb stairs and step by step or later you will pass the bill. There's time to study, to have fun, go to college and hold in a job, mature. It is necessary to gain experience and wisdom, responsibility, to know what you want. A good time to find child is around 30, because once you bring them to the world, you must devote the time you can not fully put to other things, and if you undertake, do not do too well", she says.
  To her opinion, before deciding when to become a mother, one has to establish the cost-benefit equivalence. "While delayed childbearing offers the opportunity for greater insight to address some problems, it also makes you lose the audacity to take on other youth. But I felt good about having given birth when I did, although it lacked the boldness of youth and feel some of its consequences", she explains.
  Among the reasons cited by several respondents about the causes leading to
delayed motherhood, stands referred to the wealth of information on these issues, the notable improvement in this time of the obstetric-gynecological services, along with the economic, professional and personal force to delay the time.
  Anyway, have children between the third or fourth decade becomes a wise choice for a large number of females. Not the end of the world, as some still sees it, and the opportunity to start down the endless and fascinating journey which means the upbringing of children.