«Some of our friends and acquaintances are already grandparents»

I tell

Susanne Wüthrich, 44, met her husband Daniel, 51, late in life. She now has three children with him, Noel, 7, Anna, 4, and Emilie, 2.

"There is always a generation between children and parents, but in our case there are two. Personal circumstances such as uncertainty in finding a career, meeting my husband Daniel late and his hesitation in starting a family led to our late parenthood. I initially made a virtue out of necessity and pushed ahead with my career as an engineer. I achieved my goals in fast-forward and managed to make the leap into a federal agency. Between 35 and 37, I realised that my biological clock was ticking and time was running out. I was almost ready to separate when we - I was 37, my husband 45 - had our son Noel. Our two daughters followed later. Unfortunately, I also had two miscarriages. My husband and I discussed the medical risks of our late parenthood with my gynaecologist and would also have accepted a disabled child. There were people around me who were of the opinion that you can't have a child at over 30. But I was confident that my children would be healthy.

«For me, returning to work is much more difficult than it would have been before.»

I don't feel 44. We bought a house late and are currently in full swing. I've always had a demanding job, but the stress of everyday life with my three children at home is more demanding because I have to be present around the clock. I also need a lot more time for my household because I can't concentrate on just one thing, I have to do several things at the same time. My husband is even busier at work than he used to be. The parents of our children's «mates» have a different reality of life to us, as some of them are not even 30 years old yet. Our interests are therefore different and I don't have much contact with them. Some of our friends and acquaintances are already grandparents or their children are at least already independent. We, on the other hand, still have three little «buttons». For me, returning to work is now much more difficult than it would have been in the past. Who would want a 50-year-old engineer who can only work part-time and has taken ten years off to have children?"

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This article is part of the online dossier Late Parents. Read more about questions such as: Why women and men delay having children and what this means for parenting and family life.

Read more in the dossier «Late parents»:

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    Mature parents are more relaxed, more self-confident - and too old to go on adventures with their children. There are many prejudices like these about late parents. The fact is: becoming a parent is being delayed further and further. What does this mean for parenting and family life?
  • «The joy outweighs all the stressful aspects»
    Simone Meyer, 48, and André Notter, 64, both have children from their first marriage. Their children Melvin and Juna are 13 and 11 years old. Simone and André now also live separately.
  • «My mum has a hard time with some teenage expressions»
    Juna Meyer, 11, and her brother Melvin live with their mum Simone, 48, and spend every other weekend with their father André, who is retiring this year.