A expert thinks women should have babies before they are 35 years old. Professor Mary Herbert said the age of 35 is like when the "clock strikes 12". She said it is riskier to become pregnant after 35. She added that it was difficult to help with as women got older. Professor Herbert gave doctors and nurses an important message in a speech at a science festival. She said: "The best cure of all is to have your babies before this clock strikes 12." She added: "I would be getting worried about my daughter if she hadn't had a child by 35."

Many women choose to put off having a baby until they are older. One of the biggest reasons they do not want to stop their career. Women are also marrying or settling down at a later age. Professor Herbert said society must think about how to help younger women have babies. She said: "We need to understand what the barriers are to women having their children early." A childcare expert, Belinda Phipps, agreed. She said you can't order babies. She added that women don't always find a partner and a house before they are 32. She said: "The right man doesn't always just come along."