(New York Times) – For some single women in their 30s and 40s, their biological clocks add unwelcome stress to an already fraught process.

The stubborn notion that women’s fertility falls off a cliff at 35 has slowly shifted in recent years, thanks to changing cultural norms and leaps in assisted reproductive technology. Despite growing alarm among conservatives over the United States’ historically low birthrate, women over 35 are actually giving birth in relatively large numbers. The birthrate among women 40 to 44 has even risen over the past four decades.

“With many celebrities becoming first-time parents later in life, it often gives the public the perception that fertility is something you can delay,” said Dr. Natalie Crawford, a fertility doctor in Austin and the author of “The Fertility Formula.” (Read More)