To think 36 isn’t that old for a first baby

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Old school friend has told me that people are saying she’s too old to be pregnant.

If she’s already pregnant, it obviously isn’t! Declining fertility is also irrelevant. Who are these people saying she’s too old? My friend’s MIL said my friend was too old at 36 when she was already pregnant; honestly why would she do that? Her son and his first wife became parents at 21 when they were still at college and that didn’t end well. MIL rarely saw her first DGD, and she was going about it the right way to not be seeing her second!

Not too old at all. Personally I wouldn't plan to have my first at 36 but that's my choice and everybody is different.

She should tell them to jog on! It's perfectly normal and acceptable to have your first at that age, should that be what you want, just as it's normal and acceptable to have one when you're in your 20s. I personally had a bloody good time living it up without any responsibilities in my 20s and early 30s before settling down and having my first at 35.

I was nearly 40 having DD. Fitter than her peers' mums, we go running, cycling, paddle boarding etc.

Definitely not too old IMO or E

I'm 33 on my first and felt old but when at the maternity hospital I've met several women later 30s , early 40s on their first and some planning their second.

Nope not too old.

Comoletely normal in my experience. It's often a class/education thing too. I don't know anyone that had their first baby before 30 in my circle, oldest was 41, so far.

At 36i was the youngest in my NCT group!

Tell them to shut up. I was pregnant with my first at 36 and had DD at 37. Got pregnant with my second at 39 and had him at 40

When I had DD1(4) I was 29 and was the youngest in my NCT group by a good few years the average age was around 35/36.

I was too young at 24 apparently. People will always have an opinion so you just have to get on with what you want. I'm actually pleased I'll be in my 40s when my eldest is 18.

I had my first at 15
I had my second at 38. She was definitely a surprise arrival I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was 5 months.
Two of Dd1's friends from school had babies at the same time as me I felt old. In Dd2's class, I'm older than all the other mums.

Perfectly normal. Many women spend time building a career first and often don't meet 'the one' until later in life. I was 34 when DS was born.

Not too old at all, so surprised people think that. I am 38 and had mine at 33 and 35. Wouldn't think twice about having 1st at 36. She's got time to have 3 or 4 if she wants.

Depends on where you live. Definitely not old for London.

Of course not too old, fairly normal where I live.

Might be cutting it fine for a second though.

It's not old but I wouldn't of wanted to have my first at that age. My eldest is 10 and I'm happy I had my first mid 20s.

Biologically many women have their baby at that age or older so it’s not too old and just comes down to what age suits the individual best of all.

I was not mature enough, married/secure relationship, or financially secure with the education I wanted to have had a child in my early twenties so am a supporter or waiting because it was right for me. It won’t have been right for everyone though.

in my opinion she is old for a first child as technically the nhs will consider her a geriatric mum. It just means there are more health risks to consider. On this kind of post you will get loads of women saying its not that old because they had their first at 40 and others saying it is because they were done by 36. Each to their own, it isn't helpful of people to make such remarks to a pregnant women regardless of age.

I had my son when I was 33 and now pregnant with my daughter at 34, I will be 35 when she's born next year.

It's socially normal to have children later on today, but it's a biological risk.

When you're younger, you're less likely to have issues and if you do have issues, you have more time to sort them out

I will be definitely advising my daughter to have her children younger than me.

I had enormous pressure, my biological clock was ticking very loudly and I don't want her to have that pressure, it really isn't a nice feeling!

I had my third at 37. It was fine!

@Kindertonguehappierlife

I don’t think it’s ‘too’ old but I’d be surprised if a 36 year old I knew was having a first baby

That's probably a feature of your socio-economic group, I'm in Facebook group for my old school and based on the recent back to school photos that have been posted over the past couple of weeks 36 is not unusual in the slighest

Nor was it that unheard off when my DC were at primary school

That said I never understand why this thread comes up so often. What is it about MNers that makes them so obsessed by what people think about the age they have their children

I don't remember ever having a conversation about it in real life

The average age for a woman’s first child in the UK is now 30.

If 36 is too old to have a baby, 24 is too young.

Had my first at 26 and now at 41 most of my friends are getting pregnant with their first. After 4 (5 pregnancies, I always feel the need to say that!!) My body is fecked but their bodies are probably close fitness wise to what I would have been like back then. I don't know why people feel the need to comment on stuff like that to people, it's awful!!

I had mine at 34 & 38, n egg bee considered being too old, I certainly didn't look out of place in the school yard, loads of mums around my age. I couldn't have cared less anyway.