Today we talk to Bettina Gordon-Wayne, Journalist, Certified Mental Strength Trainer, and bestselling author of The Joy of Older Motherhood. Bettina became a mother for the first time at age 44, and since then has dedicated her life to coaching other women over 40 through limiting beliefs that keep them from starting their own journeys into motherhood. She is a huge advocate for over-40 motherhood, and through her coaching and writing, hopes to reshape some of the societal stigma around having babies at an older age.   We talk about the barrage of negativity and fear that a woman over 40 can run into when she decides to start a family. We discuss Bettina's experience of realizing how much stigma was involved in older motherhood, and her decision to write her book to encourage other older mothers. We also talk about some of the considerations an older mother should make in order to ensure that she is able to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy.   We talk about the data that is used to determine the success rate for pregnancy over 40 , where it comes from, and why statistics in this area tend to be inaccurate. We talk about cultural perceptions of what is "too old" to have a baby, and how those perceptions came about, as well as why they aren't necessarily true. We talk about menopause as the end of a woman's fertility, and how greatly the time frame for it varies, and how fertility prior to menopause shouldn't be a concern at any age if there are not any previously existing fertility issues.   Finally, we talk about other things to consider when thinking about the "best" age to have children, including how financial stability may affect maternal health, and how the experience and emotional maturity of an older mother may help better equip them after the baby is born. We quickly look over the main myths about older motherhood and debunk a few final concerns for any potential older mothers listening.   To Learn More Visit:  https://www.bettinagordon.com/joy For Any Questions, Email Us at [email protected]