To think I am not fucking 'older'?

[CredulousThickos]

I've just spoken to a nurse on the phone about some medication.

She asked if I could be pregnant. But what she said is, technically you're still of an age so is there any chance you are pregnant? I said no, god no, and laughed.

She said 'hah yes that's what most of my older patients say!'

I AM THIRTY SEVEN!!!

Is this it for me? Am I a shrivelled, dried up old hag rather than the young, vital gorgeous creature I am in my head? I thought I'd have at least a few more years of being 'younger'.

It's bad enough that all the doctors, teachers and police officers round here are teenagers. And now this.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Ha Boatmistress, I had DD at 43 and DS at 46 and felt relatively youthful in Chelsea and Westminster.

My mum was considered an elderly primagravida when I was born in 1972.

She was 25

Theyre not told they cannot get pregnant but that the chances are lower and the risks associated with it are higher

They are, but not by anywhere near as much as people seem to think. The data that the 'fertility falls off a cliff at 35' stuff is based on is some random 18 century French farmers wives dataset or something. It's not based on modern data. Your chances of chromosome abnormalities etc does rise with age but at 40 the odds are with you.

A healthy 40 year old has a decent chance of conception and healthy birth - fertility is really individual but it's not at all true that it's 'dangerous' for anyone past 40.

(Geriatric primagravida at 36. And scientist.)

My midwife sees a LOT of 'bonus babies' born to mums in their mid 40s where couples get a bit careless with contraception.

I would have had a gentle but slightly pointed word.

I had a reverse when I went to see a consultant about osteoporosis. I'm 52 and he kept on about me being such a young woman to have osteoporosis and to have lost so much bone density.

It cheered me up a lot!

Yes, it's all relative, isn't it, sleepyhead? I remember my cousin being treated as an "older" mother in the '70s when she was 26!

Those were the days when early twenties was the norm for a first baby.

A couple of years ago when I had a flu jab the pharmacist (female) asked if I could be pregnant. She'd clearly not checked my DoB on the form. I was late 50s.

I was 27 when I had my DD and all the midwives commented on my 'unusual' age. They said most mums they see are either 17 or 37!

I thought that too gingernaut, I'm 37 and currently pregnant and can't find any reference on my notes to me being an older mum. Of course my DOB is there but nothing that could even be shorthand for me being an older mum? I've looked as I was sure they did note it on your file??

But the question is: Did you say something to her? I think clueless people need feedback.

Well, old-er is a relative term, not a description - for example you are much much younger than me grit

Nancy75 Shopping Trolleys are brill
Don't knock them until you've tried them.

My mum was just telling me of a colleague in her early 50s who was single and 'menopausal', She had a ONS and then had to go explain her surprise pregnancy to her very elderly father

I had my first child at 37.

I'm 37 and I'm not old.

Although to my cringing shame of getting words wrong (I blame pregnancy brain when I was 20)...

I was chatting to another expectant mum about the ages our respective mums had given birth to us and said happily " Oh yes, my mum was an 'Elderly Primate when she had me"
The lady behind me laughed so hard and gently explained that it was 'primagravida'

I am 40, just married and TTC. Her comment would've made me feel like shit. I know I am sensitive about this, but it's not nice.

My GP recently referred to me as being "in the second half of my life"... I was 43 at the time. 37 is positively youthful, I'm sure you're still in the first half!

Dear god, I must be positively geriatric by her standards at 46.

A consultant I was seeing about a slipped disc years ago said that it was down to wear and tear - I replied 'I'm 38!' I was expecting wear and tear not to kick in for a couple more decades!

Ha!

You are not 'older' by age, but if you were pregnant you'd be an 'older' pregnant woman - and I say that as somebody who had DS4 aged 44 without any problems with conception, pregnancy and labour/delivery.

Wrt the science, wot Anatidae said upthread: there is not 'fertility cliff' at some specific age.

'Shrivelled dried up old hag' ?

Op.... could you tell us at what age we become shrivelled dried up old hags?

MumIs, 37 apparently

Round here having a baby at 37 would be considered practically teenaged.