How old is too old to have a baby ?

[fakeblonde]

Just curios-always thought i might go for no 4 at 40 !
When i say this i seem to have to justify myself to everyone.
I had my 3rd at 33 and found i had much more patience and perhaps more wisdom ect to give.
DD1 says it would be like having a granny at the school gates !!!!!!!!!! Kinda got me thinking would it be fair on the child iykwim

[hana]

I had my third at 36 - I couldn't have any more - I jsut don't have the energy now. I do wonder how first time mums in their 40s do it to be honest

[fortyplus]

I know of 3 people who had babies at 46!!!

Apparently only 1 in 10 women is still fertile at 43. Please God don't let me be one of them!

[Blu]

Well if you think like that, Fakeblonde, you're part of the problem - should have changed my name to 'granny at the school gates', LOL.

It is natural to have babies a long as you are fertile, if you wnat to and feel you have the energy. I suspect that energy is more tapped by lots of children to run after than by age, tbh. I had Ds at 43 and didn't struggle with energy at all. But quail at the thought of getting several children out of the door on time!

[elkiedee]

Oh dear I hope my son doesn't think like your daughter, I've just had my first at 37, and turned 38 8 weeks later. And I want at least one more, if I get lucky will probably be 40. I have met quite a lot of other women having their first babies between 35 and 40, and you probably won't be the only one your age at the school gates (I certainly hope not).

If you feel up to it I'd say why not give it a go, I'm sure you'd be as great a mum to have as anyone, particularly if you're doing it because you want a child - being wanted so much is surely a good start.

[fortyplus]

It's far more common now, isn't it? I had ds1 at 32 and had 'Elderly primigravida' all over my notes!

[littlemissbossy]

I agree with other posters and that it really depends on how much energy you have. We have three very energetic boys and at 38 I like my sleep too much

[cadelaide]

had no 3 at 41, easiest pregnancy of the lot, I felt great and had heaps of energy.

...and sleepless nights?, pah, no problem.

[fakeblonde]

Thanks everyone.
So energy seems to be the biggest issue.
I must admit i seemed to spend most of ds 1s first year sprawled out on the settee breast feeding and eating too much. <br /> I think Blu is right with the point about getting them all out the door when baby is at school ! <br /> <br /> So i will have to think of ways of becoming fitter and see how i feel next year. <br /> TBH im really tired sometimes now but its still so worth it all.
Off to bed now for much needed beauty sleep x

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

topo old when your body says you cant have any more IMO.

(obviously not the safe for early meopause etc etc)

[fakeblonde]

Cadeleide-come on tell us what your on !

[southeastastra]

my mum had me at 40 in 1969, be warned i'm a froot loop

[cadelaide]

Odd isn't it?, I'm a bit puzzled myself.

I think a lot of it is knowing that this baby/toddler stage passes so very quickly, those awful nights soon become a distant memory don't they?
But the pregnancy...dunno...I just felt fab throughout.

[Easywriter]

I wish I'd done my baby making earlier too Kerry (but only cos I've realised I like 'em so much that I'd like to become the old lady who lived in a shoe ).

Seriously, I'd like one more after the one I'm currently producing (4 sounds a nice number) but it all feels like it'll be a race against time(and forty plus' shocking statistic as I'm 39 3 weeks before ths LO's due date).

[fakeblonde]

I must admit i felt on such a high 3rd time round and it never really wore off.Didn`t even mind the nights most of the time-only when i had to get up for work.
Its those awful sicky nights when you just know your gonna have to sit up all night AND go to work in the morning-YUK

[mrsmike]

44 here for ds3 - and quite honestly has been no harder in any way. Have lots of energy - surprised myself - and more laid back than in my earlier years Dunno how teenage years will pan out though ...

[WendyWeber]

I had my 4th at 42.

Sod the school gate brigade

[WendyWeber]

Did you see this family the other day?

[hellobello]

I had my 1st at 38 and 2nd at 40. Dh and I have a joint age of 100 now, so although I think it might be quite nice to have another, we really would be ancient monuments. Dh's mum was 46 when he was born in the 1940s. There's nothing new about being an old mum!

[NadineBaggott]

I agree with LadyCake ie when your body tells you.

Have to day I wouldn't have liked a late baby (well I probably would if it had happened but I certainly wouldn't have planned it).

[evenhope]

I had DD1 at 22, and had no patience at all. Just had DD2 at 43 and she is such an easy baby! DD1 screamed non stop- DD2 smiles and laughs. She grizzles so rarely that I worry something's up with her when she cries.

I've been researching my family tree and it wasn't at all unusual in the past for women to have their last child in their mid to late 40s, usually some years after the previous child (although not normally the 15 year gap I've got..)

[emj23]

You're too old whenever you feel too old. My mum was temporarily horrified 20 years ago when she got pg with my brother when she was 30 because she felt too old. A lot of people would find that absolutely ridiculous nowadays when loads of women don't start thinking about children til they're in their thirties.

[lillypie]

I had no3 at 42 after a 24yr break and I'm absolutely loving being a mummy again.

I'm now seriously considering trying for another ASAP, as although Isobels big brothers
adore her she is essentially going to grow up
as an only child.

If I was 10yrs younger I wouldn't hesitate for a minute.

[lillypie]

I mean a 21yr break