How old is the oldest mum of a newborn you know or knew?

[RipplingFloor]

I'm 36 and would like to ttc around Christmas.

I've 2 dc but would love a third.

I don't think 36 is old now for a baby but then I scare myself by googling too much!

personally, 39.

anecdotally, 46.

She was 47. Baby's now 10 and shes retired.

Jesus. Your thread title makes it sound like you are 56 at least.

Anywhere up to about 42 is totally un noteworthy.

43 with own eggs. 52 with donor. Also know a couple of other 50 year olds with donor.

My mum was 45. We had a 46-year-old come along to a parents' group I run last week.

My friend just had her second at 43. Conceived naturally (albeit it took a few years). Very straightforward pregnancy and delivery. She is enjoying late motherhood a lot too.

Another friend is a midwife and says she has delivered loads of babies to wonen in their late 40s - apparently it's more common than you think. Periods become irregular, people get careless with contraception and...

People have always had babies in their later fertile years.

I was 40. I know of someone who had twins in her late 40s - not planned.

My mum was 46. This was over 20 years ago as well

My Mam had me at 38. Her and my Dad were at the last stage of adopting until I arrived as a 'surprise ' and ruined everything. I think they're happy with how it worked out

two people i know were 45. and everything was fine.

46 with donor eggs

42 spontaneous conception

I had my last at 40

Several 42, 43 and 44 year olds.

None was an assisted conception

• the only IVF patient I know was a mere 39, then she fell pregnant naturally and unexpectedly when her son was 4m old.

Lots of my friends are hospital consultants and I hear that plenty of women deliver at 45-50. I've never known any of them though, unless you count celebs like Mariella Frostrup and Monica Bellucci :-)

My great aunt had her dd3 at 48 in 1965. Her other dd and ds were 25 and 23.
She didn't know she was pregnant until 34 weeks and assumed it was menopause.

I had my first at 36, didn't feel in any way too old.

I had my third and last at 39. Get called grandma at the school gates by others....not good. She is keeping me young by me doing stuff with her that i did with others, such as go ape this year at age 49.

My mum was 37 with my little brother, my friends mum was 40 with him.

Knew a lady who had 2 at 49ish. One is special needs. Both are now 23ish but mother has sadly passed away.

I was nearly 37 with my first and 40 with my second.

Oldest woman I know was 47 (natural conception, if a bit of a surprise!)

The ovaries can have a bit of a mad last fling before the menopause, so surprise late pregnancies are not that uncommon.

I had bleeding at 5 wks with DS2. A scan at 6.5 weeks showed another (empty) sac attached to his, so I had obviously released two eggs that month.

My mum was 46 when she had my brother - 18 years after she had her last dc (me!). Perfectly normal pregnancy and delivery. As an aside, my DH was 46 when our dd was born, he's now 52 and hasn't been mistaken for her grandad yet! In my circles 36 is around the time everyone has their first!

48-my aunt, with a 22 year age gap. My uncle was 52. It was a "surprise" and they actually spent loads of time running swimming clubs and bands in their retirement.

45 with a 9 year age gap.

45 with triplets, unplanned, unassisted...

40 with her first 45 with her second. She is now 79 and was a single mum before her ds2 was a year old. She is amazing.

45, natural conception.