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Original poster

What’s your gut reaction to a 38 year old being pregnant?

918 replies

Pegfriedrice · 01/03/2023 09:25

Do you consider 38 old to be having a baby? Just interested in how people honestly feel hearing it as obviously most people would be polite in person but I’m not sure if secretly they’d think it was quite old to be having a baby?

probably overthinking but hey…

OP posts:
CheeseFiend40 · 01/03/2023 12:04

I had my 3 DC at 36, 38 and 40, so you even have time to have a third if you wanted! 😂

Fladdermus · 01/03/2023 12:05

To be honest I'd think it a bit young. I had mine in my 40s.

(I said that tongue in cheek before people start raging at me)

ganesha · 01/03/2023 12:06

I had my second at 40 and for some reason was worried about people thinking I was too old even though I know in this day and age it’s very common particularly if people are having their 2nd/3rd. 38 would have felt normal x

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Wednesdaysotherchild · 01/03/2023 12:06

Jealousy! After 10+ miscarriages 37-40… and a future of childlessness. But I’d feel that no matter the age!

SquanderedAgain · 01/03/2023 12:09

Everyone on Mumsnet has their children 30+, usually around 35 and above so it's totally normal here. And in most places.

To me it seems old. But I had two children much younger, 18 and 20. So a 38 year old to me was old enough to be my mother.

I don't know why you care what your sister thinks, she the anomaly, you are 'normal' these days.

So to me it seems older (for a first or second anyway) but I won't judge anyone if they don't judge me. Really not that big a deal especially when it's fairly typical now

theDudesmummy · 01/03/2023 12:10

Don't be ridiculous. I had DS at nearly 46.

WillowintheUK · 01/03/2023 12:14

I was that age when my youngest was born - she’s approaching that age herself on her next birthday. So even in the dim and distant past women had babies well into their thirties.

misslooloo · 01/03/2023 12:17

I had my second aged 38. Not too old at all! No-one batted an eyelid x

steff13 · 01/03/2023 12:18

I cannot imagine having any opinion on this at all.

Drfosters · 01/03/2023 12:18

As someone debating having another baby in my early 40s, I would think it was no one else’s business! Quite frankly until you go through the menopause you are fertile (albeit declining fertility) so can’t think why it is weird if your body can do it.

Geranium1984 · 01/03/2023 12:20

Perfectly normal, most of my friendship group are having babies now and we are late 30's.

Justwanttotravel · 01/03/2023 12:20

I had my third at 39

Tryingtoconceivenumber2 · 01/03/2023 12:23

I am currently 36 and trying for #2. Unless I get pregnant in the next 2 cycles I will be 37 when then are born. I was the oldest in my friendship group to have my first at 33 but I think that's the area we live in. I just think it's personal choice. Personally I am very happy with my decision to have children in my 30s and not my 20s. I just didn't feel ready before. Also a lot of people meet their partner later in life it's such an individual choice and really shouldn't be judged by others x

Whiteroomjoy · 01/03/2023 12:23

women have only recently not been giving birth right up to peri menopause or even till menopause. Even my grandparents generations of the 1920/30s were part of very large families with mothers giving birth well into 40s.

up until 1960s and advent of legal prescriptions of the pill and legal abortion , this was fairly normal and in some families expected . Sure there were other forms of birth control available that meant family planning was possible, but they weren’t as reliable and heavily vested in abstinence

so, yes it is normal biologically .

it is more that women are having first children later in life, and the concerns that brings in opting to delay stating a family when fertility does start declining. If I wanted a second child in my late thirties I wouldn’t be hanging around waiting for the “right “ time, by the time right comes for me , biology might already be saying a heavy no.

bussteward · 01/03/2023 12:25

I just had my second at 42!

TonTonMacoute · 01/03/2023 12:25

Leafer · 01/03/2023 09:27

As a woman who had a baby at 38, I’d consider it just completely normal tbh

This

HiccupHorrendousHaddock · 01/03/2023 12:25

It's on the older side but it's not an outlier in any way.

Personally I did find my baby at 36 a lot more tiring than the one at 29, but that's ok.

CheshireCat1 · 01/03/2023 12:26

I had two children then had another years later when I was 39. Best thing ever, best time of our lives. The siblings are all grown now and the age difference doesn’t effect their close relationships with each other. I was more relaxed with my youngest, didn’t go by the book, I just had a fantastic time bringing him up. Would do it all over agin.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 01/03/2023 12:26

Assuming it was a planned/wanted pregnancy, then why would I think anything except "Congratulations"?

My sister had her DD1 at 37 and DD2 at 39. Perfectly normal.

VoulezVoux · 01/03/2023 12:27

Normal.

Changes17 · 01/03/2023 12:29

I think it's quite generational/down to opportunity. I had DC1 at 37, DC2 at 41. But I've just worked out that my GM must have had my DF at 42 - last child.

RoseMarigoldViolet · 01/03/2023 12:29

Totally normal around here. Wouldn’t have any reaction at all.

I was a bit surprised when someone in the neighbourhood was having one at 48 though!

JessicaBrassica · 01/03/2023 12:30

It's normal. I'm more likely to judge someone in their 20s to be honest because I'd wonder if they'd screwed up their career potential.

SquanderedAgain · 01/03/2023 12:32

JessicaBrassica · 01/03/2023 12:30

It's normal. I'm more likely to judge someone in their 20s to be honest because I'd wonder if they'd screwed up their career potential.

You don't have to judge anyone, it's not either-or.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 01/03/2023 12:32

JessicaBrassica · 01/03/2023 12:30

It's normal. I'm more likely to judge someone in their 20s to be honest because I'd wonder if they'd screwed up their career potential.

Why judge at all? How very odd.