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Original poster

The oldest you've known someone to get pregnant naturally?

340 replies

ineedtowomanup · 29/12/2024 10:56

My Grandmother was 44 when she had my youngest uncle, a healthy pregnancy and my uncle is now 47.

What's the oldest you've known someone to conceive and give birth?

OP posts:
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KimberleyClark · 08/01/2025 15:03

Also, if you bleed,especially in lead up to menopause, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve ovulated.

Inyournewdress · 08/01/2025 14:36

As I understand it, it’s really just a numbers game. While someone is still ovulating it’s a possibility. There will likely still be some good eggs but increasingly very few. So favoring in the chances of one of them being in a follicle that actually develops and ovulates it’s a small statistical chance. But it obviously does happen. That’s why contraception is advised if you don’t want to conceive, it feels ridiculous using it when you know it’s almost impossible that you’d concieve, but the chance however small could be there and if you don’t want to deal with that stress then better to continue with precautions.

yestheyhavethesamedad · 07/01/2025 19:23

Ex colleagues mum was 53 , she thought was menopause , was not planned but is much loved , even if there is a 23 year gap between what used to be the youngest and what now is .

CuteCillian · 07/01/2025 19:21

My BIL's mother had him at 49- her first and only child.
She lived til 94.

Sunblocker · 07/01/2025 19:16

51 and it was twins! No IVF- the Mother had 6 grown up children. It made me feel like a very young Mum at 40!

Anonymouseposter · 07/01/2025 19:14

The auntie I referred to who had her son at age 48 with a 22 year gap to his brother was not particularly fit and lean. She actually looked a bit older than she was. My uncle was 52. A shock/ surprise for them. They took early retirement and spent a lot of time with their younger son. My uncle ran swimming and football training. The son is now a 40 year old solicitor. my auntie died 3 years ago, my uncle is alive and lives alone at 92.
Re menopause, I was having regular monthly periods until I had a hysterectomy at 58. They were very heavy and it was a complete nuisance. I don't know until what age I could have become pregnant, I wasn't up for taking any chances!

anonymous98 · 07/01/2025 18:54

I was an oops baby for my mother at 39.

anonymous98 · 07/01/2025 18:54

43-44

HollaHolla · 07/01/2025 18:37

My great gran had my granddad at age 49, in 1922. He was the last of 4, all born after she was 40. They were married when they were a bit older.

I had a colleague who had her 4th surprise baby at 46. There was about a 17 year age gap to the next child. She thought it was menopause!

Aussiegold · 07/01/2025 18:24

My aunt knew someone who was 52, she thought it was menopause so didn't go to the doctors until quite late on. I can't imagine the shock!

kate592 · 07/01/2025 18:20

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 03/01/2025 15:19

It seems as though there have always been outliers though. Sarah, the wife of Abraham was ‘barren’ and thought long past childbearing when she conceived Isaac. John the Baptist was born to a woman who was also thought to be barren and much too old to conceive. Both of those babies had distinguished later lives!

Sarah was supposed to have been 90 and Abraham 100 when she had Isaac so probably not something to really go by - ie complete nonsense.

Inyournewdress · 07/01/2025 18:07

sashh · 06/01/2025 02:53

That's so funny.

When my brother was in VI form ones of his friends was having dinner with his family when his mum started talking about the pitter patter of tiny feet. Friend's brother went white and left the room, friend didn't cotton on at first but yes at 18 he acquired a baby sister.

I have no idea how old his mum was, I mean she could have been mid 40s.

Show quote history

I know someone who was an only child till he was nearly 40 , then hid dad met a younger woman and he suddenly acquired twin brothers!

Original poster
ineedtowomanup · 07/01/2025 10:37

ChristmasPostman · 05/01/2025 22:11

My MIL had my DH at 47. 3rd pregnancy, all completely natural.

Wow!

OP posts:
sashh · 06/01/2025 02:53

YankSplaining · 30/12/2024 05:05

As a teenager, my mother was friends with “Barbara,” whose mother had a baby when Barbara was 18. Barbara was mortified - “everyone’s going to think it’s secretly my baby!”

Show quote history

That's so funny.

When my brother was in VI form ones of his friends was having dinner with his family when his mum started talking about the pitter patter of tiny feet. Friend's brother went white and left the room, friend didn't cotton on at first but yes at 18 he acquired a baby sister.

I have no idea how old his mum was, I mean she could have been mid 40s.

sweetkitty · 06/01/2025 01:05

Last year I was having a scan at age 48 for perimenopause symptoms and the doctor proceeded to tell me I have active follicles and was I still using contraception (DH has had the snip) even the thought terrified me.

quince2figs · 06/01/2025 00:29

aliceinawonderland · 05/01/2025 10:21

So if a woman is still having periods at 57, she could conceive?

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Yes, it’s possible but highly unlikely, hence the guidance. If conception did occur, chance of the pregnancy continuing would be very low.
Very few women are having regular periods at 57y - a minority of women may still be having some irregular or infrequent bleeds, and aren’t yet postmenopausal.

ChristmasPostman · 05/01/2025 22:11

My MIL had my DH at 47. 3rd pregnancy, all completely natural.

leolo · 05/01/2025 22:08

CortieTat · 05/01/2025 16:27

This is of course anecdata but an acquaintance who had her two children at 43 and 45 is also very fit, I am also fit (running and strength training regularly).

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Same here. I was doing karate 5 times a week when I had my two DCs (at ages 43 and 47). Mind you, I’d never TTC before this so I’ve got nothing to measure it by,

CortieTat · 05/01/2025 16:27

Menopausalsourpuss · 04/01/2025 23:58

Just to note when I got pregnant accidentally at 49 I had lost weight and got fit doing alot of running.

This is of course anecdata but an acquaintance who had her two children at 43 and 45 is also very fit, I am also fit (running and strength training regularly).

CortieTat · 05/01/2025 16:24

MrsSkylerWhite · 05/01/2025 15:09

TwistedWonder · 29/12/2024 14:58
**
51 and that was in 1989. A lot of people said she wouldn’t live to see her DD reach adulthood but she’s now 86 and still going strong with a 35 year old DD

I’m sure I read somewhere credible that “geriatric” mothers live on average longer than younger ones.

I have not read anything about this but sounds common sense to me. Our purpose as species is to pass on the genes, so it sounds more likely to stay alive longer as long as we are still needed to bring up our offspring.

MrsSkylerWhite · 05/01/2025 15:09

TwistedWonder · 29/12/2024 14:58
**
51 and that was in 1989. A lot of people said she wouldn’t live to see her DD reach adulthood but she’s now 86 and still going strong with a 35 year old DD

I’m sure I read somewhere credible that “geriatric” mothers live on average longer than younger ones.

HRTQueen · 05/01/2025 12:30

49 my great grandmother

definitely no medical help and no not a cover up for a daughter’s baby , he was her 13th child and according to my nanny she was absolutely devastated and tried to bring on a miscarriage baby was fine

he recently died I think he was 93

KimberleyClark · 05/01/2025 12:23

aliceinawonderland · 05/01/2025 10:21

So if a woman is still having periods at 57, she could conceive?

Show quote history

Theoretically but her eggs are unlikely to be viable at that age.

aliceinawonderland · 05/01/2025 10:21

quince2figs · 04/01/2025 08:29

The UK guidance advises contraception be used up till 55y, if you are sexually active and don’t wish to conceive. This is based on the majority of women’s fertility declining to such a level at that stage that pregnancy is highly unlikely - but note, not impossible - hence my pp about the 56yr old I delivered.

Most women will have reached menopause by 55y and no longer have periods, so of course won’t conceive. A minority are still menstruating at this age, and I often advise my patients at this age to continue contraception for another 1-2 years, as there will always be outliers. We (schools/health professions) do a poor job of educating about basic fertility, contraception and difference between perimenopause/menopause, I’m afraid.

There is so much concern about fertility declining from 35y on a population level, that this message has been misunderstood by many women (and doctors/nurses!) to mean that all women won’t conceive naturally once in their 40’s. I certainly saw many women in 40’s and sometimes in 50’s. requesting terminations, as they had just presumed contraception was no longer needed.

So if a woman is still having periods at 57, she could conceive?

IlooklikeNigella · 05/01/2025 10:04

49