More Hoosier women over 40 choosing solo motherhood
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A small but fast-growing share of women in Indiana are choosing solo motherhood later in life.
Why it matters: Births to unmarried women 40 and older have doubled since 2007 as more Americans rethink when and how to build their families.
By the numbers: In Indiana, 0.87% of babies born in 2024 (695) were to unmarried women 40 and older, per CDC data — up from 0.32% (290) recorded in 2007, despite an overall decline in statewide births.
The big picture: The local trend largely mirrors national data, which saw totals climb from 0.52% (22,454) to 1.1% (35,938) in the same period.
- Overall, about 40% of babies are born to unmarried women, a definition that can include cohabitating couples.
What they're saying: "The majority of our members are having children via fertility [treatments]" and are in their "30s and 40-plus," says Kat Curtin, director of the international Single Mothers by Choice (SMC) support group.
Zoom in: Curtin said women who join the support group typically have "dated, come into their career, come into their life" and are ready to start a family.
- "You don't go down this path and be confident that you can raise a child by yourself unless you have a level of independence and resiliency."
Zoom out: When SMC began in 1981, adoption made up a larger share of members' paths to parenthood, Curtin says.
- Back then, she says, being a single mom by choice was "stigmatized," but she now sees "more of a societal acceptance towards different family units, [including] single-parent households."
Worth noting: Small studies suggest children in single-mom-by-choice households fare as well as those in heterosexual two-parent families. Researchers also find these mothers tend to cultivate broader social support networks.
- Outcomes in divorced families look different.
Reality check: Access to IVF and child care is still heavily income-dependent — and pregnancy isn't a guarantee even for women who freeze their eggs at a younger age.
What we're watching: TrumpRx is offering discounted fertility drugs. But medication is only one piece of IVF's high price tag — leaving questions about whether broader efforts will follow to expand access.