In recent years the number of those giving birth in forties, often to first babies, has increased dramatically and it's in the news all the time: Iman and David Bowie, Cherie and Tone Blair, Emma Thompson, Michael Douglas, Victoria Wood John Humphrys, to name but a few. What used to be extraordinary is now being taken for granted to the extent that some women are actually deciding to wait until their forties to start a family.

But what is it really like to have a baby in your forties? What are the myths that linger and need to be challenged, and what are the realities and risks which should cause concern? In this positive, highly informative but very personal book, Corinne Sweet, herself a first-time mother in her forties, investigates this growing. Trend. Her research and interviews with many different women, and some men, Knock a lot of prejudice on the head while being honest about the risks and dangers. But in the end this is a positive book: there is no doubt that this trend will continue, that the span of age for giving birth will become even longer and that older mothers can be fitter, healthier and more contented than younger mothers. And so, indeed, can their babies!

Uzzi Reiss, M.D., OB/GYN, has been delivering children for over 30 years. His Beverly Hills-based practice focuses on maximizing health through better nutrition and commonsense home remedies.

Yfat M. Reiss serves as editor-in-chief of SharpMan Press and SharpMan. Com. Two award-winning men's information resources. She lives in Los Angeles .

Michael Klein is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Forbes, and Natural Health, Office Yoga (both from Chronicle Books).