As if women don’t already get enough pressure to have a baby from eager parents itching for a grandchild, there are actually valid medical reasons to not wait too long to get pregnant.
One reason in particular: Women who are over age 30 when they have their first child have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Here’s how it works: When breast cells develop in adolescence, they’re immature and super active until your first full-term pregnancy. Pregnancy helps the breasts fully mature and grow in a more regular way — reducing your total number of lifetime menstrual cycles and helping protect against breast cancer.
Not ready to have a baby yet? Don’t stress. The decision to have a child is an extremely personal and complicated one and requires tons of commitment and support.
Whether you decide to have children at a younger age – or at all – there are lifestyle choices you can make to keep your breast cancer risk as low as possible:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Limit alcohol.
- Eat nutritious food.
- Don’t smoke.
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