Can Having Many Children Mean Better Health Overall?

I've been thinking about the this subject for awhile.  I mean, over the last decade at least.  I used to be in a mommy's group where it was pretty popular to wait to try for kids until the late 30's.  After listening to their reasoning, I pretty much got the idea that they just wanted to live life first and then start thinking about kids.  It made me sad to watch them try and try to have kids and eventually hope for at least one before it was too late.  Then I saw some of them have to spend thousands of dollars to try and get pregnant.  Another lady had to have donated eggs because hers were too old.  I mean, this was actually a pretty common problem among women I have met that waited so long.  Now, why is it that some women will have no problem having kids at the age of 40 and then others, who waited so long, have eggs that are just too old at the age of 37?  I know it can vary from person to person but I think it's interesting that a majority of women I met fell in these two categories:

*Women having children young:
Had little problems with getting pregnant and bearing children even up to the age of 45.  Even good recovery.


*Women waiting till just before 40:
Have trouble getting pregnant, eggs too old, having to implant, trouble carrying full term, harder recoveries.

Of course there are always the exceptions.  Just seems INTERESTING.  I mean if anything, the energy in moms of many are AMAZING.

How is it that someone can have baby after baby after baby and be so incredibly healthy?  Wouldn't it completely wear the body down?  I used to envision a broken body where she was all creaky and could barely get around.  No so.  I meet these moms of large families and it's like they are in their 20's.  Then I often meet moms in their 40's just starting to raise little ones for the first time and they seem so worn out physically and with little patience (exceptions of course).  Some would argue that having kids wear you down because of stress.  Well, I look at it from a different perspective.  When I got married I was an extremely immature, selfish little girl who needed to die to her flesh.  Badly.  Motherhood will do that.  It's amazing the patience skills you get when you have to clean up an entire room of spilled chocolate powder.  Waking up every two hours in the night will make you die to your flesh.  Having to change diapers for 10 years straight will eventually get you to stop thinking about all those diapers you have to change and instead how you get 5 minutes uninterrupted of tickling and giving kisses to baby on the changing table.  I am never in any hurry to potty train my kids because I'm just so used to changing diapers and really enjoy their littleness.  Having a lot of kids just did that for me.

I don't know why I constantly watch out for stuff like this but I do.  I feel like having children really, really is a blessing from God in more ways than one. Mentally, physically, and emotionally.  Even spiritually.  Trust me, kids bring me to my knees before the thrown. Keeps my heart right before God.

I found this interesting article from a blog that caused a lot of debate.
Having Many Children is Healthier

What do you think?