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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:
anon666 · 01/03/2023 18:18

My first reaction would be joy. I know so many women TTC in late thirties are worried about it. It's a celebration of life!!

Jumpingthruhoops · 01/03/2023 18:19

Pegfriedrice · 01/03/2023 09:33

She said it to me with a tone of almost disgust at the thought of someone my age having more children which made me feel a bit shit!

I think you need to start paying less attention to what your sister says.

TmFid · 01/03/2023 18:19

So many of my friends have had babies at this age and thereabouts. I had mine at 40 and 43, so 38 seems relatively young in comparison!

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Mesoavocado · 01/03/2023 18:19

Congratulations?

why would you think anything else? Not that old

ForestofD · 01/03/2023 18:20

It's fine. Just be prepared to be told you are in the geriatric category of Mother. It was an actually thing when I was 36. Not sure if it still is.......

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 01/03/2023 18:20

Ponderingwindow · 01/03/2023 17:57

It’s absolutely the norm in my social circle so I wouldn’t even notice. A 28 year old might catch my attention because it skews a bit on the young side, though not inappropriately so.

What would be inappropriately so in your view?

Vladi10 · 01/03/2023 18:20

I had my first at 36 and second at 38. I had friends at baby group even older, think it’s normal these days

Powerflower22 · 01/03/2023 18:20

I had my first child at 38 and I breezed through it - no issues getting pregnant or carrying him

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/03/2023 18:20

Nothing remotely unusual nowadays. Dd had her first at 38, 2nd at 39. Many of her friends have been similar ages, or early 40s

FreddieMercurysCat · 01/03/2023 18:21

I was 2 months shy of 40 when I had my youngest, so I’d think nothing of it.

DarthTater3 · 01/03/2023 18:21

I’d be mildly envious as I had my first child at 40 😁

LuluLehman · 01/03/2023 18:21

I would be very pleased for them.

chaosmaker · 01/03/2023 18:22

Making your own carers when you have them later in life. I speak as someone born to a 39 year old who then went on to have another one at 42. She needn't have bothered.

mustgetoffmn · 01/03/2023 18:22

This feels sort of ageist. As long as your body lets you you can have a baby. 38 is young!! If you were a woman wanting a large family obviously the later you start the higher likelihood of not managing to get siblings. But making a big deal of the age of the mother rather than of the eggs….hmmm. Btw the sperm age equally significant.

Frazzled83 · 01/03/2023 18:22

I had my second at 38 - got pregnant very easily & had a very healthy if slightly knackered pregnancy. It took me till my first was 3 to even contemplate it!

ElaineMarie87 · 01/03/2023 18:23

Happy for her. I’m 35 and pregnant with my first. If we want to have another I’ll probably be 38 or thereabouts. Most women I know were my age or older when they had their first.

Zanatdy · 01/03/2023 18:23

I’d think it was towards the upper end of normal but I’d be happy for the person if that’s what they wanted. My SIL was 41 when she had my nephew. It was her 1st child, my brothers 3rd and his girls were 27 & 21 when their brother was born. My brother didn’t really want a baby at 48, but he knew his wife wanted children when he got with her so guess he felt he had to agree. He’s embraced it though and sure he doesn’t regret it, but does make comments about never retiring! For me it would be the last thing I’d want at that stage of my life

another1bitestheduck · 01/03/2023 18:23

It would be "congratulations!"
Aren't most 1st time mums 31 on average now? Let alone their age then if they go on to have more kids?
I think I have 1 friend who had kids in her 20s, everyone else was i their30s/40s, although lots of women I was in school with had them in late teens/20s so it can obviously differ quite a bit within social circles, so can see if everyone around you had their first at 19-23, 38 seems old.

mustgetoffmn · 01/03/2023 18:23

chaosmaker · 01/03/2023 18:22

Making your own carers when you have them later in life. I speak as someone born to a 39 year old who then went on to have another one at 42. She needn't have bothered.

Huh?

Reugny · 01/03/2023 18:23

ForestofD · 01/03/2023 18:20

It's fine. Just be prepared to be told you are in the geriatric category of Mother. It was an actually thing when I was 36. Not sure if it still is.......

It was 40 when I had my DD though that wasn't the only thing that they decided you were at higher risk.

If you had 8+ years between pregnancies you were categorised at higher risk.

I thought that was interesting as I now know a few women who have children in their early to mid 20s and then late 30s.

DollyDaydream55 · 01/03/2023 18:23

I had my first baby at 38. Not by design but through lack of suitable partners.

avocadotofu · 01/03/2023 18:23

Happy as long as they wanted the baby. It's a pretty normal age to have a baby for the people I know.

Grannyto2 · 01/03/2023 18:24

My daughter gave birth 11 months ago to a bouncing baby boy. She was 38. We couldn't be happier. Shes enjoying being a mum and I am enjoying bring his granny. Shes back at work full time . Whats wrong with having a baby at 38 ? This post has annoyed me a bit.

Middleagedspreadisreal · 01/03/2023 18:24

It's got nothing to do with your sister.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/03/2023 18:24

@ForestofD I was down in my notes as an ‘elderly’ primigravida at 28!

This was in 1977 to be fair, though, and the other mums on the ward were all 19-22 ish.