Is it too late for a third baby?

Well nobody can tell you if it's too late for you, only you can make that choice.
It would personally be too late for me and I had my children at 39 and 42 so certainly not young myself. Have been zero negatives, healthy happy children, but if I were you I would just be happy and enjoy the children you have x

Someone has to be that 1%, and then 30% of that! Which studies showed this? Because I should imagine it’s hard to measure as most women aren’t trying to conceive at that age.

It's about 1%. The difference between 40 and 47 is absolutely massive for the chance of conception.

About 1%. And then around 70% will miscarry.

My great aunt had her surprise baby at 48. It does happen, rarely but it does. She wasn't handed a baby either, she was actually pregnant. She thought it was the menopause.

YABU I think. Notwithstanding your age (which I think is up to how you feel and whether it's physically possible), unless you get pregnant immediately (which isn't likely, and having Googled the stats are going 44% over 40 get pregnant within a year) then your existing children are going to be 8 and 10, or 9 and 11, etc, when you have a newborn. That kind of age gap and there being only one baby means they'll grow up a bit like an only child - completely out of sync life stage wise, and with adult siblings before they're even in high school. It's a very different sibling experience and has the potential to be a bit lonely, plus you're then facing very different life challenges at the same time which I personally couldn't be bothered with - two in uni and one in their early teens sounds horrendous, for example! As does one doing SATS and a newborn (as well as the impact on the existing children with a new baby in their life).

There are women with excellent health and fertility who can conceive naturally at your age. I’d say go for it, but the gap between potential baby and older two is probably too much. Do you even have your baby things still?

Yes

More likely one of her daughters had a baby out of wedlock when grandma was 47 and they handed the baby to her to raise to avoid the shame.

Children's futures don't look so bright now, so I personally wouldn't think it's a great time to have a baby, especially since you are middle aged and already have two. (IMO not fair on the baby, not fair on your other two)

I would think you incredibly selfish if you did. But I guess...... go for it?

Children's futures don't look so bright now, so I personally wouldn't think it's a great time to have a baby, especially since you are middle aged and already have two. (IMO not fair on the baby, not fair on your other two)

I would think you incredibly selfish if you did. But I guess...... go for it?

It's far too late.The risks will be really high. Its not a question of sod other people at all. Its risks to OP's health and health of a future baby. And the risk of miscarriage is extremely high.

Was going to say this. I’d get your hormones checked as I suspect you may be in first stages of peri and could start a form of HRT now - and even if you aren’t the quality of your eggs mean that getting pregnant and remaining pregnant at this stage is less likely - so you’d just be setting yourself up for heartache.

Been there (though much younger) and you don’t want to be grappling with that with young children who need you, especially with transition to secondary school coming up soon. Take a deep breath… adopt a spaniel!

Maybe she wants to put a little bit more thought into creating a new human than "let's see what happens"?

Didn't Cherie Blair have her fourth one at about your age? I mean they'd have had loads of money and nannies but still, I don't think she or the baby came to any harm.

What does your DP think?

It’s never too late if you physically can. I have two aunts who had children later in life. One had her first and only child at 45. Her daughter is now 30, has two children of her own and my Aunt is a happy grandmother. She loved having her daughter and I think it meant the world to her. The other Aunt had her third baby at 47. Her other children were teenagers. It was a lot different and a lot harder. She struggled with doing it effectively with a different generation of parents with different ideas, a lot of her friends were enjoying freedom and space and she was still doing kid stuff. Weekends spent at football matches and football training.
Just think very carefully about what you want to be doing in your 50s and 60s is the only advice I would offer.

Do what is best for your existing kids and the potential new baby, you mean.

I mean try and see? What’s the point in asking here

God no. Even without any genetic issues I wouldn't be relishing the prospect of parenting a teenager in my 60s.

This definitely falls into the even if you could it doesn’t mean you should category.
in response to your edited comments about prenatal screening
That just means you’re going to put yourself your body and your family through an abortion. None of these things are easy processes. Particularly after 14 weeks, they’re pretty bloody horrific.
That could wipe out an entire year of effective parenting for your existing children
Never mind a year of damaging your career while you try to juggle that as well which by the time your children are age 9, you should be

This.

More than one poster has said they did it at 45 even though if they made a thread about it on MN everyone would be telling them it’s too late.

You can but try. Prenatal testing for genetic issues has come along way and can test for the most common age related problems.

Women had no choice then.

One of my grandmothers had her last child (of 14!) at 44.

Two aunts had ‘oops…thought it was the menopause!’ babies at 46 and 47 respectively (one of whom was born with complex disabilities).

This was Catholic Ireland when contraception wasn’t available and abortion was illegal, though. Not a choice.

It's difficult to accept the end of your fertility, and the end of having children. Many women struggle with this. Have you started perimenopause yet? Because let me tell you, that is a ROUGH stage of life, and to do that with a newborn or toddler would be so much harder. You just won't have the patience you need to get through those years with a baby. And being almost 70 when your child would be 20 is not fair on them, as another poster said.

47 is just silly. Come on! Why do it to yourself and your existing children? You had your time. It’s up. Embrace and accept the next chapter.

This is just hormones talking OP, it’s insane.

I’m 55 no way I could I cope with a 6-7 year old on top of 2 older kids. My youngest has just finished school.

And if the baby has some kind of special needs or disability it unbalance the dynamic of your existing family.

You have no concept of what menopause will do to you.