To not take any conception now I’m 40

I'm not entirely clear if you are trying to get pregnant or just have a more relaxed attitude to the possibility of having a baby later in life. I had my two kids in the second half of my 30s and was keen to try for a third pretty much as I hit 40. I was though very under prepared for the bruising experience that followed. We didn't use contraception when I was between the ages of 40 and 45 and that resulted in several (maybe 6 or 7) first trimester miscarriages and a pregnancy then ended in a termination due to a down syndrome diagnosis. Clearly there are many women successfully having babies in their 40s as evidenced by other posters, just sharing my own experience to give some balance, but wishing you all the luck in the world if pregnancy is indeed your aim.

Geriatric mother is an outdated medical term for pregnant women 35 and over.

Have you gone through menopause (i.e. periods have completely stopped)? Has your partner had a vasectomy? If not, then there is a risk you'll get pregnant.

I love my oopsy 14 year old. I'm 55.

Are you wanting to stop using all forms of contraception because you actively want to get pregnant and will be trying for a baby, or because you don’t think you can get pregnant once you turn 40? It’s unclear.

If you want to try for a baby at 40 then good luck hope you get what you want. If you don’t want to get pregnant then good luck, hope you get what you want.

Crap no. I’m 40 and I got pregnant last year. My mum got pregnant at 44. It’s no rarity.

I don’t agree with the posters making out 40 is really old to have a baby, plenty of people do just that.

My mum came off contraception just before 40 because she thought she didn’t need to worry - that’s how I came to exist. If you’re comfortable with that risk, fill your boots.

Unless he has the snip or its been one whole year since your last period this is how babies are made!! Your eggs dont turn to dust at 40!!

Depends if you want a baby or not?
I am 55 and only just thinking about stopping contraception, still get the odd period, hoping they will give up completely soon...
If you want a baby start taking folic acid and be careful what other supplements you take (best to stick to ones suitable for pregnancy).

Aa the mother of 2 children conceived whilst in my 40s, age is a poor form of contraception.

If this thread is genuine and not a wind up it paints a concerning picture of the quality of the education system in this country. On many levels.

Imagine having this little understanding of the biology of reproduction and being married…

A former colleague of mine got pregnant at 46. They'd been "trying" for years and years and had resigned themselves that it was never going to happen.

Her husband took early retirement at 50 as he'd always intended to, but instead of spending his days on the golf course as planned, he was doing child care and school runs.

Agreed, you can fall pregnant in your forties. So….. you want a child? What is the point of this thread?

If you have kids at 40 and live to the average age (into your 80s) how are you kids going from ‘late 20s onwards’ without parents? Check your workings.

I’m sure I’ve read about the ‘last fling of the ovary’ too, which is likely to occur late 30s/early 40s.

I mean if you want to have a baby it’s fine. I had my two at 37 and 39 and now at 42 I’m trying for my third. It’s later than I wanted but we had fertility issues and this is IVF. I know loads of people who have babies at this age.

My DM had an ectopic pregnancy and almost died as a fallopian tube burst (think that’s what it was), early to mid 40s.

Same! I think you may have meant to quote someone else, though.

The life expectancy of women is now close to 85.
It's a range.

I know people who lost a parent in their teens, 20s and 30s, and others whose parents are still alive in their 90s (and their 'children' who are 70+ are caring for them!)

A few friends of mine have had unplanned and planned pregnancies in their 40s.

If you have a baby at 40 and die at 80, said baby is unlikely to be in their 20’s. Chiefly due to the linear passage of time.

Also, it’s ‘losing’.

I think we’ve established that neither maths nor the English language are strengths of yours, so perhaps think of your own children.

I think now that more and more women over 35 are having babies, that term should be dropped. It's been around for decades and although it still applies to slightly higher risks like high BP and gestational diabetes in some women, health care has improved a lot. Younger, obese women have far higher risks than fitter older women.

The average age of having a 1st baby is now almost 30.

Indeed, so you need contraception - unless you've left out the drip feed that you're trying to conceive.
That said, geriatric pregnancy is the correct term for anyone pregnant at 35+.

My mother, then aged 42, went to the doctor's for advice about the menopause as her periods had stopped. 6 months or so later, I was born - her fourth child, nine years after my youngest sibling.Say no more!

If you have a baby at 40 and live until 75 your child would have you until their thirties. I've many friends that had young parents and sadly by the time we were thirty they had passed away. This can happen to anyone at any time having children younger has no guarantees.

This post is quite obviously rage bait. For context I had children at 32, 34, 37 and 41. As others have said it's likely you could fall pregnant.

I’m assuming you mean contraception?

Do you want to have a child now? Does your partner?