After a woman turns 35, it's more difficult to conceive. Most women have read this or heard this, but not all worry too much about it. In the workplace and in the news, there are many examples of older women having babies and some women may feel reassured. Others are simply not ready for kids until later, perhaps because they're too immersed in their work or haven't found the right match.

Take Gigi Fernandez, who retired from a successful and intensecareer playing tennis in 1997 at the age of 33. Ms. Fernandez decided to try and have a baby when she was in her 40s and after seven unsuccessfulfertility treatments, she and her partner were told that Ms. Fernandez's eggs were too old and that her intenseathleticcareer had contributed to her inability to conceive. Finally, using donated eggs and sperm, the former Hall of Famer became pregnant. She gave birth to twins in April 2009.

Ms. Fernandez and her partner say they spent about $100,000 over the course of five years in their attempt to become moms. 'As an athlete, you have this attitude, 'I can do anything with my body,' ' Ms. Fernandez told the New York Times. 'That's how you think. So your biological clock is ticking, but you're in denial.'

Fertility rates decline gradually from ages 35 to 38 and then more quickly after that, according to the Times. Personally, I felt nervous about trying to conceive after 35 and wound up having my son just three weeks shy of that milestone. At my obstetrician visit afterward, my doctor asked when I'd be having the next one. When I expressed anxiety to him about being 'too old,' he assured me I'd be fine if we wanted to have another.

Of course, the reasons for starting a family are personal and complicated. Maternal age is a factor and, according to recent research, so is paternal age. There's also the 'energy' factor - the older you get the less energy you may have to chase after a child. Adding to the complexity is our need to balance our professional and financial goals along with health concerns.

When we've looked at this topic before, some have said that they wished they'd started families sooner-but were too focused on their careers. Others say that establishing themselves in their professions and being financially stable was critical.

Juggle readers, how did you decide that you were ready to have kids? Do any of you feel that you waited too long, or started too early? If you're planning on having kids at some point in the future, do you have any anxieties about maternal or paternal age? Have any of you set a parental 'deadline' - an age by which you hope or hoped to have children?

Emily Peck

• conceive [kən´si:v] v.设想；表达；怀孕 (初中英语单词)
• career [kə´riə] n.经历；生涯；职业 (初中英语单词)
• partner [´pɑ:tnə] n.伙伴 v.同....合作 (初中英语单词)
• nervous [´nə:vəs] a.神经的；神经过敏的 (初中英语单词)
• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)
• complicated [´kɔmplikeitid] a.结构复杂的；难懂的 (初中英语单词)
• factor [´fæktə] n.因素；原动力；要素 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• energy [´enədʒi] n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词)
• professional [prə´feʃənəl] a.职业的 n.自由职业 (初中英语单词)
• financial [fi´nænʃəl] a.金融的，财政的 (初中英语单词)
• stable [´steibəl] n.马棚 a.稳固的 (初中英语单词)
• intense [in´tens] a.强烈的；紧张的 (高中英语单词)
• tennis [´tenis] n.网球(运动) (高中英语单词)
• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
• athletic [æθ´letik] a.运动的；强壮的 (高中英语单词)
• personally [´pə:sənəli] ad.亲自；就个人来说 (高中英语单词)
• unsuccessful [,ʌnsək´sesful] a.不成功的，失败的 (英语四级单词)
• athlete [´æθlit, ´æθli:t] n.体育家；运动员 (英语四级单词)
• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
• maternal [mə´tə:nl] a.母亲的；母性(系)的 (英语四级单词)
• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)
• fertility [fə:´tiliti] n.肥沃；多产；繁殖力 (英语六级单词)
• inability [,inə´biliti] n.无能，无力 (英语六级单词)
• pregnant [´pregnənt] a.怀孕的；含蓄的 (英语六级单词)
• biological [,baiə´lɔdʒikəl] a.生物学(上)的 (英语六级单词)
• assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)
• paternal [pə´tə:nl] a.(象)父亲的；父方的 (英语六级单词)
• financially [fi´nænʃəli] ad.在金融方面 (英语六级单词)