Working CEO Mom Gives Birth To Healthy Baby Girl At Age 54

We all know young people have been starting families at a later age recently, thanks in large part to how hard it is to find a stable, decent-paying job at the moment. A college education no longer guarantees financial freedom.

 But also, some studies suggest that younger people are simply putting their career first. They are staying in training/college for a longer amount of time and building a bubble of security before even thinking about starting a family.

 You’re seeing a lot of people in their mid-30s having babies for the first time, as opposed to their mid-to-late 20s.

 But Carolyn Aronson, CEO of It’s a 10 Haircare, waited just a little bit longer. At 54-years-old, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Aliya Dream. It’s her first baby with her husband, Jeff Aronson, another successful CEO.

 Carolyn spoke to Today Parents about the surprise pregnancy, and she doesn’t seem worried about the critics who say she’s too old to have a baby…

 “There are some people who criticize people for having children older in life and I don’t think in today’s world that is as applicable as it used to be. Rather than judging, look at the individual and try to understand why it was a good fit for them. Overall, I can say, being physically healthy from the get-go and being someone who likes to eat properly and stay active helped me.”

 According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average age of a woman giving birth in the United States for the first time is 27-years-old.

 It’s important to note though, this wasn’t Carolyn’s first baby. She last gave birth back when she was 40-years-old, and she says the biggest difference with this birth was the incredible advancements in medical technology, including 3D ultrasounds.

 Carolyn says it’s been a smooth transition so far, and that she’s glad she was in a proper place in her life to have a baby…

 “Within two days of having her, I was doing work. That’s the beauty of technology, right? It’s great also to be an older parent and be able to afford some help. There are benefits to waiting a little later in life. You’re mentally ready, financially ready.”

 Of course, the longer you wait, the more dangerous it becomes for your baby. The risk of pregnancy loss, by miscarriage and stillbirth, increases as you get older. Additionally, babies born to older mothers have a higher risk of certain chromosome problems, such as Down syndrome.

Experts say that some of that is dependent on the health of the mother, and clearly Carolyn is in pretty great shape for her age, which obviously helped her in birth.

 And while I’m happy it worked out for her, ain’t no way I’m having a baby at 56. You think I want to be a 74-year-old trying to raise an 18-year-old? No thanks, I'll pass.