This is a screenshot of the latest flash campaign material for President Obama. My point here is not to comment upon the political assertions being made here. Would Julia live a more blissful life under Obama or Romney, you make the call. More interesting to me is the cultural assumption wrapped up in this presentation. Here is is suggested that Julia’s decision to wait until age 31 to consider having a child is a normal, even wise one. If you click back, you learn that she does this because at age 27, she is too busy to have a child.
I would assume that most people, Romney and Obama supporters alike, would not even stop to consider the wisdom of this choice. After all, following the timeline, it just makes sense that if Julia is looking to pursue a career worthy of a self sufficient woman. But here is the truth. Doctors know that beginning at age 30, a woman’s fertility is nowhere near it’s peak potency (source). The possibility of complications for the mother and the likelihood of defects in the child become greater with each year (source). Especially in older women the time it take for a women body to begin ovulating after stopping birth control is increased (source). Often the cervical crypts needed to produce cervical fluid are often damaged (source).
Is this all to say that a women over 30 could not or should not give birth? No. But it is saying that if we are judging what is most reasonable and in line with biological truth, it is not a wise choice for a woman desiring to have a family. Certainly, it can easily lead to the following in the life of Julia:
At age 36, Julia is still struggling with her husband to conceive a child. They have spent ten of thousands of dollars to try to conceive through in vitro fertilization.
As at 55, Julia listens to her friends speaking of the joy of grandchildren. Her heart aches even though she wishes to rejoice with them.
At age 67, Julia needs help with her health conditions. She sits alone in a nursing home since she has no other options. Her visitors are few.
At age 85, Julia dies and a lawyer is the executor of her estate and distant cousin make funeral arrangements.
Are these scenarios perhaps extreme to present as likelihoods? Perhaps. But they are all based firmly in reality. I have seen them all. They are certainly no more extreme than suggesting a women who waits to have children until her thirties will easily conceive and live the perfect life.
If I have hit a personal chord with anyone, you must know that that is not my intention. I do not wish to speak to those who have already made their life choice. If you mourn your choices, seek refuge in the Lord, his forgiveness, and with those God has placed among you as friends and family. I am willing to converse if you wish. If you want to rage against me, have at it.
But my concern about offending some is dwarfed by my desire that our young women would not simply swallow whole the assumptions of our society about marriage, family, and child-bearing. I want them at the very least to make these decisions with reality firmly placed before them. Julia’s life might not progress quite like the cartoon assumes.
