I was 27, about to turn 28, when I had my daughter in 2006. Now I'm 32 and faced with the inevitable question from friends, relatives, and well-meaning strangers alike: "So, when are you going to have another one?" Usually I reply that when men can give birth I'll be first in line for a second child.

But secretly, inside my head, I'm usually thinking, "I know, I know, my biological clock is ticking! Lay off and let me decide in my own time!" And I'm okay with asserting myself until I read one of our fertility specialist Dr Richard Fisher's articles about how fertility declines in your 30s and start to freak out about how my eggs are getting old and my hair is getting grey.

A very unscientific survey of my high-school classmates (based on their Facebook profiles) has shown me that I'm one of the "older" first-time mums in my former peer group. My best friend back in the US had her first baby at 24 and her second child three years ago. At least half of my high-school classmates had two or more children before I even had one. Heck, my younger brother is 29 and he already has three kids.

But here in New Zealand, I was among the first of my friends to have a baby. In fact, I was one of the first to get married -- at the ripe old age of 25, a full two years after my best friend had marched down the aisle (and a year after she'd had her first baby).

The median age for all women giving birth in New Zealand is 30, according to a report released by Statistics New Zealand in mid-May. For European women, the demographic I fall into, the median age is 31. 31 is also the median age for women giving birth in the Auckland region, where I call home.

No, I'm not obsessed with my age (just the age of my eggs) -- I just find it interesting that statistically speaking, I shouldn't stress too much about the pressure to have another child. But biologically, it's a whole different story (thanks, Dr Fisher).

You can download the report for yourself here: http://tinyurl.com/2brho7c