Is it really that common to be a grandparent in your late 40s?

My nan was 38 when I was born and her mother was 56 (making her a great grandmother at 56).

My mum was 42 when I had my daughter so for me it's normal I know lots of grandparents in their 40s

Your fertility starts to decline at 27 and by 37 has significantly declined. Biologically humans are prime to reproduce in early twenties.

obviously nothing wrong with having babies later in age but there is more to go wrong. Just as having babies before 16 is detrimental to a female body.

I wouldn't personally notice. My dad was 47 when I was born and everyone assumed he was my grandad. They also assumed he was my mum's dad rather than her husband, she was 23 when she had me. (I'm now 30).

It’s very common to be a grandmother late 40s . My MIL became one at 36 and my mum at 49. I didn’t until 60 . My DIl gets asked if she is the grandmother to her kids the odd time, she’s early 40s She gets upset but there’s no need to get upset. It could be either way.

My cousin's wife was 37 when she became a grandmother. Another woman I know became a great grandmother at 57.

I had my DDs at 41 & 42. They’re 16 & 14 now and I’ve never been mistaken for their grandparent … though I could have been. I think having children later in life has helped me stay young at heart 😊

Her child is 8 so hardly years ago

I became a nan at 40. Gs is 7 my own youngest is 8. I look old so people probably think my child is my GS as well.

My grandchild was born when I was 42. Sometimes I was mistaken for her mum. Count yourself lucky! I was with my friend who was 26 and her three year old was wandering off and ignoring her calling his name. A woman said to him ‘Your Grandma is calling you’.

The average age is thirties even for a 1st child now nevermind younger ones so I think my experience is more normal these days tbh.

My friend had one at 37. She was 10 years older than most of the parents of their school friends

I had my youngest at 37 and was the youngest in my antenatal class. By the time he got to school I was still the youngest at the gates.

It's only on mumsnet I see such young pregnancies to be honest. I'd definitely assume a parent.

Not common at all in my circle. Mid 60s is the norm.

I don't know anyone having kids under 30 these days.

I am mid 40s, and have a few people from school on my FB. None are grandparents yet.
Saying that, I used to work with a man who became a grandad at 30.

I only know one person who became a grandparent in their 40’s and that was 30 years ago. I’m 50 and none of my friends are grandparents yet, l think it’s unlikely that any of us will be by 60. I wouldn’t mind being a younger GP at all, but I can’t see either of my two (19 and 16) being interested in having children in the next decade.

See that's strange as I know many people in London who have kids early. Maybe just parts of London you are referring to. Perhaps look up the ages of first time parents in Newham or Tower Gamlets as I'm pretty sure it's a damn sight younger than 40

Biologically it's the optimum time. It's what nature intended

@MassiveGoat
Exactly! My mum was a grandmother at 44, she had me at 22 and I had DD1 at 22, young by today’s standards but not in any way too young. None of my close friends are grandparents just yet but most have DC in their 20s or at least teens so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. There are people I went to school with who have adult grandchildren now. The only people I know who had babies as late as 40 are those who have had to have IVF.

This is one of those things that depends very much on demographics and the circles that you move in. Socioeconomic factors are the main driver here.

Amongst my friends and family, it would be incredibly unusual to become a grandparent in your forties. For others, it might be very normal.

My friend had her youngest dd at 45. She was occasionally assumed to be the grandmother, which I found really odd. I guess it just depends on what you're used to.

I feel like there is an element of goadiness to this thread. Nobody gets to knocking 50 without realising that people have children at differing ages. We aren't even talking about generations of teen mums here, it would be 2 women in their 20s having children. It's hardly crazy for someone to look at someone that is about 50 and assume they are a grandparent.

I don't know how sheltered a half a century you would have had to have lived to gebuinely not realise that most people don't have their children in their mid 40s.

3 early teen pregnancies.

A great grandparent at 42? How is that possible?

I know loads of grandparents in their 40s.

In 1970 the average age of a first-time mum was 23; in 2023 it was 30.9 years old. So on average, it would be a fair guess that the average age of a grandma for the first time would be 50 ish. ONS statistics seem to show that - they say just over 49.

One of the ways that people get the numbers wrong is taking "average grandparent age" which takes second-, third-, eighth-time grandparents as well as first time. The "average age" is 63, a big difference from a first time grandparent.

My brother was a granddad at 47. I'm mid 50s and my three told me not to ever expect a grandchild unless my gay son adopts😂