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Women are waiting longer to have children with many choosing to start a family at the age of 28 or above.
Aussie women are ready to take on the world and embark on overseas adventures, study at university and climb the corporate ladder all before they hit the tender age of 30.
But when it comes to having children and taking the next step in life – which for many people is parenthood – it seems that women are increasingly happy to wait until the time feels right.
New figures show that more than half of all Australian women are giving birth after they turn 35, which confirms reports that the average maternal age has been increasing since 2000.
The Australia's mothers and babies 2000 report was released earlier this week (December 21) by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Along with providing an insight into social trends, birth rates and mothering in the nation the study also raises important questions about parenting and fertility.
Elizabeth Sullivan, a spokesperson for the institute, said that women in years gone by were having larger families and may give birth to their fourth or even fifth baby by the age of 35.
"From a fertility perspective having babies in your 20s is advantageous because you're less likely to have age-related infertility, but there may be other social factors or career issues that make that more difficult," asserted Ms Sullivan.
However, it seems that starting a family during this time may be a thing of the past as more and more women choose to delay this important phase until later in life.
The typical Aussie mum is normally 30 years of age when she gives birth, which is an increase on previous years and demonstrates that women are waiting longer to have kids.
In fact, women who were 40 or older accounted for five per cent of all those who gave birth during 2009.
And despite some women bucking trends and having children in their early 20s the vast majority seem to prefer to wait until they approach their 30th birthday.
As many as 294,540 women gave birth during 2009 to 299,220 babies, and for the most part the new editions were healthy and strong – there was also a 16.3 per cent jump in overall birth numbers, adding to the baby boom which began in 2004.
The average age of first time mothers was approximately 28 years, but the number of mothers who waited until they were 35 or 40 also rose.
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