Does not having kids delay a woman's aging process?

[yeawutever]

Though I'll be turning 27 on April, sometimes I get told that I can pass out as a 20-22 year-old woman. I'm not sure if this relates to my lack of interest in procreating but I've heard that after pregnancy, a woman's facial feature changes (and the body does too as it has been stretched and has to get back to normal again) and she can slightly appear older.

 

I've seen Britney Spears' recent concert on TV and she definitely appears older than her real age (she's only 31 but is looking as if she's in the late 30's); as if she's not taking care of herself. A female cousin of mine looked a bit older too after her pregnancy. Again, I'm not sure if this relates to childbearing but it's like a woman changes once she becomes a mother and requires taking more care of herself than before.

[mhowe]

I would assume Brittany's drug addiction had something to do w/ premature aging.

 

Have you seen pictures of Elizabeth Taylor in her 40's and 50"s. She was a mother.

 

It does't relate to childbearing. It relates to stress, sleep deprivation, smoking, drinking, etc.

[appies]

I think if you have the access to resources and a support network physically having kids does nothing on aging. However, when many women have children they do not have time to sleep, eat, and exercise, which all physically take a toll on you and may accelerate what is typically seen as signs of aging.

[Fudgie]

Facial stretching now? One thing is true about pregnancy is that many women experience changes in their metabolism and their weight afterward. Many aren't able to lose that "baby weight", and being overweight makes you look older.

 

I

[Seraphim]

I am a mother and nobody believes that I am the age that I am. NO ONE. They all think I'm about 10 years younger. My mother does not look her age either. My 37-year-old cousin who has three kids was just asked the other day if she was 17.

[Unreasonable]

being overweight makes you look older

 

Depends on the person. And how overweight we're talking about. In some people, some extra weight acts like a filler and can decrease the prominence of wrinkles.

[MyNinja]

My sister had two kids back to back. Her eyes always have a redness to them and she just looks tired. I imagine she doesn't get much sleep and that itself can age you pretty quickly.

[alli]

I was going to say what MHowe said. Drugs probably has more to do with it than childbearing. Smoking and sun damage will do a ton of damage to your skin.

 

That said, many women are thicker in the waist after having children and find it difficult to lose the inches, even if they lose the pounds. Not always, but a lot of times people look older when they weight more. At the same time, there was a woman I used to work with who lost a ton of weight, maybe 60lbs. Which is great for her but her skin looks a bit saggy now. Skin doesn't tighten up as much as you age. If women are too thin when they are older it makes the wrinkles show more because the underlying lipid layer isn't thick enough to fill it in, or something like that.

[Seraphim]

How you age is more dependent upon your genetics rather than if you have children or not.

[Fudgie]

Depends on the person. And how overweight we're talking about. In some people, some extra weight acts like a filler and can decrease the prominence of wrinkles.

 

I agree but for the most part, when you're older, being substantially overweight (not just 5-10 lb, which may fill out wrinkles like you said) really does make you look older. Skin changes when you're overweight. It's not toned at all. You can get folds too and the skin on your neck can change too.

 

It also depends on where you gain it. See, I gain weight like a man due to my hormone problem, so I have very small wrists and slender feet, and not much of a double chin despite being almost 300.

 

Most people though, have more weight on their face, making it look rounder, which may or may not age them. Depends on what they have.

[Lonewing]

All genetics. You may be les stressed than someone with children, but you're more likely to be alone when you get older, which actually does have a correlation with shorter life...

[Fudgie]

All genetics. You may be les stressed than someone with children, but you're more likely to be alone when you get older, which actually does have a correlation with shorter life...

 

Oh for God sakes, you can stop proselytizing people to breed by scaring them with falsities? Having a kid just so you may have someone to wipe your butt is a terrible reason to have children and may not actually serve you well anyway.

[mhowe]

Oh for God sakes, you can stop proselytizing people to breed by scaring them with falsities? Having a kid just so you may have someone to wipe your butt is a terrible reason to have children and may not actually serve you well anyway.

 

Yikes? Who pee'd in your oatmeal this morning?

[Realitynut]

I have kids and i don't think they would EVER wipe my butt! Ever.

 

But you never know......

 

BTW...it is just genetics and if you had a baby face, etc. I noticed at my 40th class reunion, that the ones that were 'HOT' in high school, were NOT HOT now. They aged sooner and looked more mature than us 'babies' who still looked like we were in grade school while we went to high school.

 

Plus I look super duper young for my age!!! lol And i think we ALL THINK we look younger than our counterparts....when in reality, they're thinking the same about us!

[appies]

Yes and no. You don't have to have kids to have companionship or a sense of belonging which I believe is the factor in increased life expectancy. And you could argue the opposite by saying those who sleep more than 6 hrs per night and exercise 5 times a week live longer as well, which is very challenging when you have children. So it goes both ways.

[appies]

Yes and no. You don't have to have kids to have companionship or a sense of belonging which I believe is the factor in increased life expectancy. And you could argue the opposite by saying those who sleep more than 6 hrs per night and exercise 5 times a week live longer as well, which is very challenging when you have children. So it goes both ways.

 

sorry that was for lone wig

[MyNinja]

All genetics. You may be les stressed than someone with children, but you're more likely to be alone when you get older, which actually does have a correlation with shorter life...

 

I don't think this is relevant to the OP's original question.

[Chalk]

I don't think it's true BUT let's pretend it is because my biological clock is ticking & I'd like some compensation!

[annie24]

drugs, drinking, and stress. look at lindsay lohan!

[Batya33]

I agree with the others that it's not about having kids or not (would be interesting to see if moms of adopted or step-children seem to age just as quickly according to the OP). I am like Victoria as far as my experience and we are the same age. I do know that even if it were true it would not have affected my desire to have a child one iota.

[tiredofvampires]

drugs, drinking, and stress. look at lindsay lohan!

 

Or just stress, stress, and stress. look at me!

 

 

Much of my stress having to do with deep grief I haven't had a child.

[Lonewing]

Oh for God sakes, you can stop proselytizing people to breed by scaring them with falsities? Having a kid just so you may have someone to wipe your butt is a terrible reason to have children and may not actually serve you well anyway.

 

This has nothing to do with older adult care, and everything to do with life. In our younger days, we have our friends. As we get older, our older friends die first, and then we may be lucky to out live the younger ones too. but either way, the older we get, the fewer friends we have.

 

There is our family, who again provide a source of companionship - our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, you name it. But as we get older, they pass one.

 

This leaves our brothers and sisters, to whom we may be close, but in time we'll grow further apart as we each develop our own livelihoods. So they'll be spending their time with their kids and their -inlaws, and maybe us if we're a family favorite.

 

My uncle has only one daughter, but she is a doll. She grew up with her mom, as they were divorced, but she always sends cards and remembers birthdays and such. You can see how her presence in his life really does improve his attitude, which I daresay improves his life expectancy...

 

There was study a couple years back that basically showed that social isolation is perhaps one of the bigger factors in later life expectancy.

 

Having a family is like having an automatic social network, one that will always call you on Sunday if you wished it because, well, You're Mom...or Dad. AKA, Irreplaceable...

 

Granted, having children is no guarantee either, for if you're simply a horrible person, they may all disappear as soon as they turn 18, and never look back once.

 

It's not impossible to develop a good strong social network as an older person, but having children is like having an extra stack of cards to sort through for your master deck.

 

I'm certainly not going to have my kids wipe my butt when I'm an old fart, though they may be working in adult care themselves because it is indeed a good paying job for young people. And my grandparents are still quite able to wipe their own butts, and they're 76-80 now. But you should see how happy my grandmother gets whenever the kids call or come visit...whichever kids it is that call! And that, I dare say, has extended her life these past few years, when she could have passed on a couple times now already.

[Lonewing]

Yes and no. You don't have to have kids to have companionship or a sense of belonging which I believe is the factor in increased life expectancy. And you could argue the opposite by saying those who sleep more than 6 hrs per night and exercise 5 times a week live longer as well, which is very challenging when you have children. So it goes both ways.

 

Indeed, this is true, but then you get the sleep by learning to take naps, the exercise by chasing them down and playing with them, and by the time they have left the house, you have a couple decades to recoup the lost time.

[Batya33]

Indeed, this is true, but then you get the sleep by learning to take naps, the exercise by chasing them down and playing with them, and by the time they have left the house, you have a couple decades to recoup the lost time.

 

In my experience you can't always learn to take naps when they do and often there is too much to do during the naps. I agree that I get and got excellent exercise being home full-time and I don't feel like I've lost time because by the time I had a child I'd done more than my share of things that are harder to do with young children (i.e. night time activities, movies, being able to use the bathroom in peace, etc.)

[superfan]

What about one's spouse??? If a couple marries and decides not to have kids, they still have companionship. That person they have chosen to spend their life with becomes the person they are left with when all else have moved on. Your family is whatever you make of it - having kids or not having kids does not mean a longer life. Studies like that cannot possibly prove that definitively - there are far too many factors at play.