I’m 48 and want to have a baby

So true actually. My DH who was 42 when we had our furst in now 52. He was physically very fit (playing squash 3x a week, walks everywhere etc).
2 years ago (age 50) his hip went and had to have replacement. It's healed but isn't quite right so can't play sport anymore, struggles with walking and can't even play football for more than 10 min with kids as it hurts terribly.
Because of that he now also has an ankle issue (I guess isn't walking properly).
Bodies do break as we get older.
Aren't you tired from hypo, OP?

I feel for you OP. I think it’s something quite a lot of women face around the is age. Last chance saloon and all that. It happens as we get close to menopause and start to feel our age and our mortality. A last shot at fertility feels like holding on to your youth.

in reality, I can only imagine that being a mum in your early/mid 50s in the school playground picking up your Reception child would be quite alienating. You’d be maybe 20 years older than some of the other mums. At least 10-15 older than the majority. This would make me feel old and lonely.

My biggest fear would be my child losing me too young. I had my third child just before my 40th and I couldn’t help doing the maths. I would also worry about the increased risk of disabilities.

I love babies and would gladly have one right now to feed, cuddle, dress and play with. But do I want to wake up three times tonight? No, I’m done with that!

I get the thought in my head now and again to get my sterilisation reversed. I had it done when I was 29 but I know I don't actually want another baby and I wouldn't go ahead with it. I think if you're maternal, your kids are growing up and you have fond memories of them as babies you just get those urges now and again. It's probably just nature's way of trying to populate the planet.

My ex was 48 when we had our first and as he was a very “young” 48 it didn’t seem like an issue at the time. Now that our kids are tweens and he is in his early 60s, his age is very clear. He just doesn’t have the energy or physical prowess to keep up with them and do activities they enjoy (like skating or zip-lining).

His friends’ kids have all grown up and gone to university and I think he feels resentful that he doesn’t have their freedom (even though he’s only an every-other-weekend dad) and he definitely resents the costs now that he is close to retirement and desperately trying to both save and pay off a mortgage.

After years of not really noticing or caring that their dad is much older, the kids now notice and have started
to comment in a way that shows they feel awkward about it.

Think very carefully about whether this is the right thing to do in the long term.

This must be a thing I've felt the same way, and I'm 57 going through the menopause! I hadn't even heard of it and couldn't understand it.

Food for thought. Menopause is like a slow motion car crash, imagine dealing with sleepless nights, toddler tantrums and all the other joys of early childhood along with it. Urgh! 😖

My Grandmother had a baby at 50.It was very embarrassing for her and my grandfather apparently.Their first child was 30.So it does happen sometimes naturaly.
I think they were all quite happy together the child was close to his neices and nephews being of a similar age.

The main reason for not going ahead is very big chance of a baby with disability which increases greatly for older parents.

Given you have two healthy adult children already, the sensible thing to do is be happy with that.

It would be so unfair on the baby. If you did manage it you'd be about 50 before baby arrived. Would you want to be 68 with a 18 yo? Do you think your 18yo would want a mum nearing 70? Or do you think they'd be fucking petrified for how early they could lose you?

Baby at 48 with hypothyroidism ?!?

nope. Not a good idea

Very unlikely that she'll carry a healthy baby to term without donor eggs.

No thoughts for the 14 year old who might find their public exams easier without a baby around?

No. Seriously, even if you can. the risk to your health and the welfare of the baby isn't worth it.
Get a dog.

Pitty my body didn't tell me that I was too old at 38, I can't cope.

I know people have been super negative, but I'm of the opinion that if you can biologically get pregnant, it's not too late. Your body KNOWS when it's too late, and there's no harm trying if it's what you want. If you're still menstruating regularly, you may have a chance, though obviously it can be harder.

With regards to a child having older parents.. everyone has a life expectancy. If a woman 10 years younger wanted a baby, you wouldn't bat an eyelid. Yet the upper end of the life expectancy has a range of far more than 10 years. A 35 year old mum could die at 70, a 50 year old mum could die at 100 - the older mum would have had more time with her kids!

You can't think that deeply into the future. Life is full of difficulties and surprises.

If it's what you want, and you can support a child financially, go for it.

I'm 48 and I couldn't imagine anything worse! Have a 21yo and a teen myself. Absolutely would not consider starting again now, though it's immaterial as I'm already through the menopause.

You may want a baby now, but do you want a teenager when you're in your 60s?

This, you already have children.

This feels very unfair on your potential baby,

I could think of nothing worse to be honest and am just wondering why now? Is it you’ve met a new partner etc? Your age gap would be a huge struggle.

im 47 next month and my 2dc are coming up to 14 and 22 so the exact same ages as yours. Even though mine both have ASD they are both relatively independent now and life will get easier all round and I don’t know how why anyone would want to start over at nearly 50.

ultimately, it’s your choice op but i would give it some serious consideration, you will be mistaken for the grandmother for sure, I would hate having to correct people over that constantly. I think you’re missing far too old.

We have 3 and I would love 1 more.
I'm 43 and also with hypo.

What has stopped me for last two years is the risks with hypo

https://www.chop.edu/pages/thyroid-disorders-and-pregnancy#:~:text=Hypothyroidism%20and%20pregnancy&text=Deprivation%20of%20the%20maternal%20thyroid,(mental%20and%20motor)%20development.

Listen mate, I’m 45 wirh a 22 years old, an 11 year old and a just turned 4 year old. I’m fucking knackered.

Obviously, I love the bones of the 4 year old, but Sod’s Law, she’s the most difficult one and there have been times when it’s 4am an shes wide awake that I’ve thought abk how much less tiring life would have been right now with an adult child and one starting secondary school.

Its really not the same as having your first one later when you’ve already had two decades of parenting and all the shit that comes with it.

No, definitely not. The child would be young losing you and it's just too old to be doing a decade of school runs etc.

Not a wise idea at all

If you can provide a safe, financially secure and happy home for a baby (or babies) that potentially may have disabilities then yes, try it. This advice would be the same for everyone.

The downside would be the child may have less time with you in their life yet many children lose their parents before they are 30 but that doesn't mean the children shouldn't have been born.

ignore the schmaltzy my mum/gran/neighbour had a baby at 48 or 49. Not helpful
It’s a bad idea

No you are so so old- that would just be so awful for your child. Definitely don’t be that selfish

The poster who mentioned twins born to a mum of 49 - sadly pregnancies of multiples are likely to be higher risk and always have been, and medical advances mean that many babies with complex needs that would have been unlikely to survive a few generations back, are more likely to today, regardless of mothers age.
The correlation in increase in ASD and age of parents is likely mostly just a correlation: many studies have shown a huge broadening of diagnosis and lowering of severity of traits required to be diagnosed with ASD over the last few decades. I suspect many older (fully independent and functioning) members of my family would be diagnosed if they were young and in education settings today, and I'm sure a lot of people can say the same. Of the quite a few children I've encountered with classic Autism, only one had an obviously older parent, in that case the father, and he was at least 50.
Some of the comments on this thread go a way to show why we are soon to have a population collapse!

Stop it