The days of being considered an “old maid” if unmarried at age 23 are long gone. Nowadays, women are opting to postpone marriage and children until after they have established a stable career. There are a variety of different factors that have led to this conscious decision by many women. The unstable economy shows that a dual income has become a necessity instead of just added income. Also, higher education in women has increased exponentially in the past decade and women have more career opportunities than there were in olden times. The women’s movement has promoted an increased longing for financial independence, which can only be facilitated by putting priority towards a career outside of the home.

However, all of the changes in the family structure and women’s role in business has created an interesting dilemma with problems associated with putting your career ahead of starting a family.

Health issues

Women have the added burden of having to seriously think about their age limitations when it comes to starting a family. While men can decide to have children at almost any age, the health issues that can arise for women trying to become pregnant later in life can be surprising to some. The Center For Human Reproduction states the condition of premature ovarian aging, “As one of the major causes of female infertility. As women get older, their ovarian reserve (or the ability of the ovaries to produce good-quality eggs) naturally declines.” Not only is it a much more difficult process to conceive, but it is harder on both the woman and baby during pregnancy and labor.

Dating choices

When women put their career as the highest priority over starting a family, the choices made when it comes to dating can be quite different than someone looking to start a family first. The attributes of someone with long term stability and family oriented may not be as necessary for a woman who is putting their career first. This can be problematic for when that woman ultimately wants to start a family because her choices in relationships may not facilitate having a partner with those same goals.

Living accommodations

For a woman prioritizing her career above starting a family, living accommodations don’t have the same strict guidelines like big yards, close proximity to parks, safe sidewalks and great school districts. The living accommodation priorities for those putting their career first can consist of a studio apartment in close proximity to work or public transportation. This can become problematic for when you ultimately choose to start a family because it might call for a drastic relocation.

Employment

Putting your career ahead of starting a family opens up your possibilities for employment opportunities in major ways. The restrictions of looking for employers that offer benefits and limited travel can be hindering. However, changing employers can often be difficult and uncertain, especially in this declining economy. So, a large problem to think about may include employment changes when having to start a family later in life after having put your career first.

With the evolution of the women’s movement, women now have the freedom to put their career first and yet still be able to start a family later in life. However, there are several problems that can arise from this not so unique situation in today’s ever-changing world. It’s important to understand and anticipate the problems associated with putting your career ahead of starting a family so that you can work around them more easily.