Sue Radford and fertility over 35

[WonderingAboutStuff]

Just been watching this family lately on YouTube and I was confused - sue Radford is 45? Yet has zero it seems issues getting pregnant is this very unusual ?

All I read is how over 35 it’s difficult to conceive ? And if you do miscarriage or problems are common but here is someone who seems to have very few issues is she a one off or is current advice around fertility out of date I’m so confused

Had my first at 34 and last at 43. Took 3 months on both occasions.

I am 54 and still fertile - I was tested. Some people have more eggs (you are born with them all) and are fertile for longer. We are all different. Sue Radford is obviously a woman who easily conceives.

I had my dd when I was 34. I'm nearly 39 and been trying for a dc2 for just over 2 1/2 years. The prices at my ivf clinic go up depending on your age. When I booked/started I was under 38 but if I start a whole new cycle then I'll be 39 and the price goes up quite a lot, then again at 42+ I think. Overall fertility is declining anyway, especially with the quality of sperm due to expose to more toxins etc. So what happened 50 years ago isn't entirely relevant now. There are of course just very fertile women (and men) in their 40s or evening 50s. I have two close friends who have recently got accidentally pregnant with their third dc, both my age.

If you’ve been trying for 6 moths and are over 35 nhs will begin investigation. If you’re under 35 they make you wait a year. I think that fertility gradually reduces over time not suddenly drops off unless you’re menopausal. I had to try for 2 years before I was taken seriously and was then found to be pretty much infertile at 26. So I reckon it’s luck of the genetic draw

Months not moths lol

I just looked up some stats and the odds of conception in a year are 85-90% for ages 24-34 and 80%ish for 35-39, it doesn't drop off that dramatically after 35 in this day and age. The stats for over 40 are bleak but I don't know if that's skewed by most women with good fertility having already had kids by 40 and therefore a disproportionate number of women trying in their 40s may have preexisting fertility issues...

@whatwouldjohnmclanedo

If you’ve been trying for 6 moths and are over 35 nhs will begin investigation. If you’re under 35 they make you wait a year. I think that fertility gradually reduces over time not suddenly drops off unless you’re menopausal. I had to try for 2 years before I was taken seriously and was then found to be pretty much infertile at 26. So I reckon it’s luck of the genetic draw

Sorry to hear that

From what I have read, the so called 'fertility cliff' is based on dodgy science. Fertility is very individual to the person. That's not to say women can be fertile forever, but it is not as dramatoc a drop as people think. One european study found only 4% difference between fertility of women in late 30s and those in their 20s. Some women can be fertile till their late 40s. My mother was one of 11 children and born to my grandmother at the age of 47.

I think it's all based on quite dodgy science, the quote a pp posted about 1700s France was really interesting. We haven't caught up with having the ability to delay pregnancy, and the effect that starting reproduction later may or may not have on a woman's overall fertility. It's fascinating stuff (when it isn't having a personal impact).

I come from a Catholic family where babies into the 40s was absolutely not unusual. Even in my day, I knew a lot of 'surprise' children who had 5-10 years between them and their next oldest siblings because a fertility surge just pre-menopause was common with women who'd had multiple pregnancies.

She did lose a baby boy in pregnancy, not sure if she has had miscarriages early as maybe she keeps them private

I had my 2 at 34 and 37
No issues with fertility , conceived second month both times

It's statistically more unlikely, but it's not uncommon for people to conceive naturally after 35 or even 40.

My fertility declined massively at 35 - literally like a cliff-edge, one minute I had normal AMH levels, the next minute they were through the floor.

I conceived 2nd month of trying aged 36.

It's taken me 7 months to get pregnant now, aged 42, with one chemical pregnancy during that time.

Statically speaking means nothing for an individual. Just because you're more likely to have issues doesn't mean you deff will. Some people have fertility issues at 25 and some conceive no problem at 45.

My cousin had her two kids at 40 and 42 and got pregnant first time both times. My grandmother got preg by accident at 39 and miscarried and then got pregnant again a few months later as she realised she wanted another baby (and my dad was born).

Plus menopause babies are very common - people think they're "safe" as they think they've started menopause and don't take precautions anymore and oops they're pregnant. It's actually a very common thing.

I had my last DC at 42, my first DC at 29. Between 38-40, I had 3 MCs, 2 had Downs’. So it does harder after 35 simply because our eggs aren’t young. It’s not always smooth sailing but the window doesn’t slam shut at 35. What I notice though is that I rarely meet mums who deliver after the age of 43. Once we hit 41, fertility really does a cliff dive.

My last child was born when I was 42, completely unassisted conception. I probably should not have been so shocked as my aunt was born when my grandmother was 47.

Most people I know did not begin their families until their mid to late thirties.

Menopause babies are not at all very common. They happen but to say they’re common is incorrect. They are uncommon.

1st at 32 (took over a year) 2nd at 35 (took 6 months). Im done now as much as I’d love a 3rd dp isn’t feeling it!
I did feel I’d left it to late because of the influence of the older generation. My dp’s nan even said to mil I didn’t think they could have kids!

Sorry to carry on but a woman over 40 is not in menopause unless she hasn’t had a period for one year. Babies born to women having regular periods and ovulating into their 40s are NOT ‘menopausal babies’.

My GP said it was a myth that women's fertility simply falls off a cliff at 40. However egg quality much more frequently becomes a problem. What surprises me about Sue Radford is her seeming lack of mc versus the number of children she has had. Of course, she may just not speak about them but her children are close together mainly so there would be little time to fall pregnant have a mc and get pregnant again so many times. I have been pregnant 5 times in my 40s (have had children in my 20s and 30s also). I had one successful pregnancy aged 40 after a mc at 39.5yrs, then 3 consecutive mc and now I'm nearly 26 weeks pregnant at 44. I would say from the groups I'm in that staying pregnant is harder than becoming pregnant over 40 provided there are no pre existing fertility issues (inc early menopause).

A friend just had her first at 46 no assistance. I went to my gp for hrt and left with contraception because I'm still likely to be fertile

What happens in our 40s though is that we have periods but don't necessarily ovulate. Anovulatory cycles increase in our 40s. So although we're not menopausal, we're not always ovulating. But at 35, this isn't typically a worry.

I fell for this myth too and stopped the pill at 36 ready for a whole load of "trying" and expecting mcs and heartache. I got pregnant first month without contraception.
I don't tell people though as it can be seen as smug or insensitive to mention so i think lots of people like me keep quiet thus making it even more easy to believe the story that it's always hard after 35.

I actually felt right through my pregnancy that id been 'too lucky' and we were due some heartache so found it hard to accept fully until well into the third trimester.

I conceived at 39 while using condoms. My mum had kids at 40 and 42 with no effort. It's not necessarily a problem.