Having children after age 40 is becoming increasingly common. Since 2023, births to women over 40 in the U.S. have outnumbered those to teenagers. Celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Sienna Miller, and Natalie Portman often showcase their pregnancies at this age. This visibility helps normalize a cultural shift. In the ’90s and 2000s, older parents were much rarer. Zella Whitfield’s experience highlights this change. Her parents were 47 when she was born in the early 2000s.
Zella, now 24, reflects on her unique upbringing. Living in Wales, she values the wisdom and life lessons from her parents. They had her naturally at 47, without IVF, which is uncommon. During her childhood, she didn’t notice the age gap between her parents and others. “I never really thought about the fact my parents were much older until I was a teenager,” she shared. Now, she considers how different it must have been for her mom to connect with other parents.
“I think people are really interested by the story because it’s controversial,” Zella stated. She uses social media to share her experiences, engaging a large audience.
Despite challenges, she values her upbringing. “Mine were so wise and had so much life experience, I learned so much from them,” she said. Having a sister nearly 20 years older is a highlight of her life.
Challenges and Trade-Offs
Zella acknowledges the trade-offs of having older parents. “The first bad one is the obvious one, that I get less time with them,” she explained. Her father passed away earlier this year, highlighting the reality of shorter time with them compared to her friends. Yet, she cherishes reaching 24 with both parents.
Her parents provided stability. “Because they were already later on in life, I had an extremely stable childhood,” she said. Their careers were established, contrasting with the struggles of younger parents she observed. However, this stability had its downsides, such as difficulties with modern technology and social norms. “My dad was just stuck in the 1970s,” she noted, recalling his occasional outdated remarks.
Lacking a larger family network was also noticeable. She never had grandparents around as many of her peers did. “Another bad thing is that I never knew my grandparents,” she mentioned.
A Broader Demographic Shift
Zella’s story coincides with a broader demographic change. In the U.S., the mean age of mothers rose from 28.7 in 2016 to 29.6 in 2023, based on National Vital Statistics Reports. Birth rates for women aged 40 to 49 increased by 24 percent from 2015 to 2024, and three times as many U.S. births in 2025 were to women 40 and older compared to 1990.
For Zella, these trends reflect her own life experience. She sees this not as a disadvantage but as an integral part of her identity.