Women age by up to two years for each baby they give birth to, according to new research.
Pregnancy Test
Researchers claim cell changes in pregnant women may have long-lasting negative effects, and that each child a woman has could slash the mother's life-expectancy.
These cell changes could have overall negative effects on the woman's health, it was found.
The US study looked at 821 women ranging from 20-22 who had up to five kids.
The research discovered that every time a mother gives birth her cellular age is increased by six months to two years.
While pregnancy can take years from a woman's life - when she is carrying the child, her cells look temporarily younger, giving a youthful pregnancy glow.
The study leader, Calen Ryan, from Northwestern University in Chicago, admitted he was not surprised with the amount of ageing the research showed.
He is quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: ''The markers independently predict mortality and both have appeared in women who have had more pregnancies.''
''Even accounting for other factors that affect cell ageing, pregnancy numbers still came top.''