Ready: Why Women Are Embracing the New Later Motherhood (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: new later motherhood, clout effect, bio mom, United States, Women Are Itmbraein, Sarah Leuighed (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this upbeat, sometimes self-congratulatory book, University of Houston professor Gregory looks at the benefits of waiting until later in life to have children. Recent front-page studies citing a rise in infertility have instilled a sense of emergency in women who put off having children until they have established careers and chosen the right father—or perhaps eschewed the need for one. Gregory's palliative, informative study of 113 mothers between the ages of 35 and 56 (she doesn't share where they live, one failing of this work) reveals the rational motivations on the part of these mostly well-educated, professional women for waiting, as well as their varying success in getting pregnant. Married moms, single moms, gay moms, moms who had a baby by nature or with the help of technology or adoption—Gregory shares her happy discovery that most of these new later moms felt positive about their choices. Some of the reasons they cite in interviews include bringing more financial power and education to the nest, creating a strong family focus and the likelihood of a stable, peer marriage, enjoying a longer life expectancy and a general sense of self-confidence younger mothers may lack. Helpfully, Gregory debunks a lot of the hysterical statistics surrounding infertility and dispenses the wealth of pregnancy and adoption offerings with equanimity and good cheer. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"...Gregory has a serious point to make, and she marshals both anecdotal and statistical evidence to make it." -- The Washington Post Book World, February 10, 2008

"Elizabeth Gregory has discovered the real truth behind all the false alarms over delayed motherhood: that older mothers tend to be very happy with their decision to have children later in life. A positive, optimistic message for women: you can wait until you are ready to be a good parent." -- Ann Crittenden, author of The Price of Motherhood and If You've Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything

"Elizabeth Gregory sheds light on an aspect of the contemporary family experience that has not been examined in great detail until now: the new later motherhood phenomenon. Many of the families Elizabeth Gregory examines are formed the old-fashioned way, but a growing number are the result of adoption and reproductive technologies. Finally, we have a wonderful book that provides us with a thoughtful and thorough examination of motherhood and family life in the 21st century." -- Adam Pertman, author of Adoption Nation

"With clarity, compassion, and common sense, Elizabeth Gregory takes us on a captivating tour of the changing landscape of 21st-century motherhood. She offers a forceful and compelling challenge to those who view contemporary motherhood in ferociously negative terms, as an unholy blend of smother love, over-parenting, and unremitting anxiety and guilt. An insightful and extraordinarily informative look at how today's highly accomplished women balance the conflicting demands of prolonged professional training, high-pressure careers, and the yearning to raise children." -- Steven Mintz, author of Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood

"In this beautifully written and well researched book, Elizabeth Gregory explores contemporary transformations in what it means to be a mother, chronicling the exponential growth in the number of women over 35 seeking to conceive or adopt children. Without ignoring the risks, Gregory reviews the advantages to mothers of living on their own terms and the benefits to children of being reared by more experienced, settled and committed individuals, as well as the various options open to women who postpone child-rearing." -- Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, author of Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (December 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465027857
• ISBN-13: 978-0465027859
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #647,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars we came a long way ... then, a baby!, January 16, 2008

By	C. Stanek "filmmaker 'Found in China'" (Chicago area) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm delighted to see a book on this topic with all the anecdotal evidence in the world that yes, sometimes late-in-life moms do have an edge over younger ones--more settled, wiser, richer, been there done that and everything else we needed to do to feel complete--except the biggie--motherhood. We may get gray hair sooner and emabarass our teens when the clerk at Abercrombie's thinks we're a grandparent not the parent, but I'm living it and loving it. Gregory gives compelling proof that this choice is not the huge risk it is often perceived to be. Our kids have kept us young(er) and more physically and mentally active than we might otherwise be had we decided that we had missed the boat. The book was also quite readable and not quite as academic a treatise as I had anticipated.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I will remember this book when I think of having kids, April 10, 2008

By	Rachel Duhon (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although I am not a mother, I am a fan of the English department at University of Houston (my alma mater), go coogs!

I found this book to be a delightful, realistic outlook on the many roles and responsibilities of women in the United States. As a child raised by a single mother, I understand how having an older, educated mother can better enable one's children to be better prepared for the world's obstacles.

What a wonderful read! My friends are buying this book!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ready Let Me Down, April 14, 2008

By	Brianna Hair Haggard (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was disappointed by Ready. As a 27 year-old married attorney who doesn't feel quite "ready" to have children yet, I was hoping that this book would give me reassurance that my choice is the right one for me. However, I was frustrated by a lot of the positive statistics. They were either already common knowledge, misleading, or vague. For example Ms. Gregory mentions a few times the fact that most later mothers are in stable relationships where as their younger counterparts are not. However, the statistic she is referring to compares women who are 35 to teenagers! Well of course, most teenagers are not married!

I was also angry when reading the section on fertility. Her researched figures and numbers are extremely positive until you realize that the numbers do not include women who have already been found to be infertile. Therefore, when she recites the statistic that 90% of women between 30 and 35 are fertile that only means 90% of women who are not already known to be infertile.

In Elizabeth Gregory's defense, she does not hide or try to conceal these statistics in anyway. They are not hidden in the back footnotes.

The part of the book I found to be most helpful was the section where Ms. Gregory discusses a later mother's higher salary and more secure position within her job. This section of the book was well researched and her statistics were clear and unambiguous.

Given the chance to go back in time, I would not buy this book simply because I don't feel that it taught me anything that I don't already know or that isn't common knowledge or common sense