What's the latest you'd have a baby?

[worrywilma]

I'm 37 and ideally I'd like to wait another year before trying for our first baby. But I'm fully aware that time is not on my side!

My career has only just started to take off......oh to be 28 again 🥴

I know millions of people have their first in their late thirties, but I also know a lot of those people wish they had started sooner.

I'm in a pickle.

@SarahAndGoose you could have googled about fertility dropping off at 32 (first thing that comes up!) but yes the link to the college of obgyns is below which says fertility significantly drops at 32 and continues, peaking rapidly after 37.

www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2014/03/female-age-related-fertility-decline#:~:text=1%202%203.-,The%20fecundity%20of%20women%20decreases%20gradually%20but%20significantly%20beginning%20approximately,hormone%20and%20decreases%20in%20circulating

I wouldn't hang around. I had mine at 36 and almost 38. We started trying when I was 33 but ended up needing IVF (for no apparent reason).
I'm 40 now with a 2 and 4 year old, and I'm knackered. It was out of my hands, but I do think it would have been easier to have fallen pregnant younger.

Don't overthink it, just come off contraception now. You've met the right partner, that's the main thing! It will never be a perfect time. A baby won't appear until November at the very earliest.

I'd say 40ish. Had my first at 32 and my second at 36 and I'm thinking about a third with another 4 year age gap, which would make me 40.

I was a young mum around these parts though. I know more women who've had a first baby over 40 than under 30. One of my colleagues got pregnant at 29 and we were all because that seemed SO young.

Also, within the NHS, it's now 40 that the pregnancy is considered 'geriatric' in terms of the extra tests/referal/appointments. So many are having babies at those ages now that they don't have the capacity to do it for everyone over 35.

Probably late 20s

I had my ds (only) at 45. He was a late surprise and I've loved every moment.

I'm not tired, I'm careful to keep fit and ds is now 16. We get on well and he'll head off to uni in a couple of years.

I had a baby last year and I honestly could not give a shit about my job now. Do I want to miss out on my baby's first time climbing up on to the sofa for a strategy meeting about how we can align synergies to better promote our USP? Like hell.

Everything changes. It's okay. Make sure you have money to have a year off.

Just had my first age 30, planning to start trying for no. 2 in a year. If it doesn’t happen by 35 then that’s my cut off.

You sound incredibly sensible and responsible. I bet you and DH are great parents.

I think people can have their first baby whenever they like, but from 37-38 can be a big change in fertility. I would start trying now if I were you, or if you don't want to then at least do a fertility mot or egg freezing

Cut off would be 36 latest. If you are happy to possibly never have one then it's fine to wait. If you actually want a child you are being very silly risking it.

Cut off point would be 35 for me.

I had mine at 27 & 30 and I've felt like I was about to drop dead ever since. It's exhausting and bloody hard work. I don't think my body would cope carrying another one but if I had to cap it, I would say 35.

I wouldn't hang around, I would just go for it.

Before 35. Egg quality goes down and the chances of a disabled bairn increases. Be too much finger crossing IMO.

I had my third at 33 (sadly died), I had my others at 29 & 31. I wouldn't want to be older than 35 to be honest. It's so tiring and managing teenage hood in my 50s is too much for me handle tbh.

I wouldn't wait. Stats are by the age of 40 three quarters of your eggs have abnormalities and will result in miscarriage if you fall pregnant.

If your DH is age 40 or above though your chance of miscarriage also increases by three times. So a huge amount.

If you have a partner in his 20s or even early 30s you're gonna have more luck conceiving, so your age will be less of an issue.

My cut off was 30, I had mine at 19,20,22,24,26 and 28.
I wanted to be a young mum which I'm glad I did as I became disabled in 2006 and am now virtually in a wheelchair whenever I leave the house, I'm 47 now.

30

Had one and only at 45. Decided no further trying after that.

exactly how i felt. completely changed my perspective on careers etc.

30 was my cut off point but I married in my early 20's so I had time on my side.

I had mine by 29 and now in my mid 40's I'm very glad I did.

It's all a balance isn't it? I had my first DC at 27. Easy, loads of energy, no problem with the lack of sleep. Physically and emotionally, for me, it was an ideal age. But now in mid 30s I feel sad that my little DC days are done and I still have so much working life left, and I really struggled to balance the demands of starting off a job with looking after children. Had I started later, after establishing a career, I would have had more time to really enjoy my DC, would have been less stressed, and now could provide a better life for us. So socially, later is better.

I had my youngest at 26. I'm 34 now and couldn't imagine having any more at this age. 35 would be my absolute cut off, sorry. Id be medically classed as a geriatric pregnany then. But that is for me personally. I know plenty of mums who had children at 40 odd and are absolutely wonderful parents. I'm just too selfish to start childbearing again. I'm so close to getting some freedom back!

I had mine at 32 and 39. I found it incredibly easy to get pregnant at 32, I had 7 miscarriages before I had my second. My second son may have autism. I would advise that if you want a baby you go for it now, don't wait. There is hardly ever a great time, but biologically you are pushing it.

If you definitely want kids, start now. It can be a long process!