AIBU to think very very few people get pregnant at 50?

[iamamickey]

So I’m 50. Married to an older man and we have sex probably 2-3 times a month. It’s ok we are happy with that.

I had my implant removed and am waiting on a coil being fitted. But I’m hearing awful stories about it.

Surely it’s not that easy to fall pregnant at my age with a husband 10 yrs my senior?

Not easy but not impossible 🤷‍♀️

Unlikely - yes.
Impossible - no!

Edited to add: although it's unlikely, I still think you are BU to take the risk. There are lots of contraceptive options so it's not like the coil is your only choice!

Highly unlikely.

It's not impossible,
But I imagine it's rare.

It's unlikely but not impossible. It depends. Do you still have periods? Even if they are sporadic.

Yes I still have periods. I didn’t want hormonal methods as I’m feeling myself for the first time in years and assumed that was lack of synthetic hormones.

So use a barrier method until you’ve got the coil. Pregnancy is unlikely but not worth the risk imo.

The UK Office for National Statistics publish data on conception by age. There are very few conceptions among women aged 50+ and many of those recorded are achieved via IVF. BUT, while very rare it IS possible. The oldest mother who gave birth after natural non-IVF conception in the UK was aged 59 years.

Personally I would not take the risk, I had a coil at age 50+ and found the oestrogen Mirena coil had double benefits as well as contraception it helped me through some of the effects of menopause.

Your DH could have the snip.

But it has happened in my family. Cherie Blaire was, I think 45 ish when she had her youngest.

Is it worth taking the chance?

You need contraception!

You might be ok, you might not. I wouldn't risk it

You're still having periods, so the risk of pregnancy is still there.

I would probably risk it if contraception was the only reason I wanted the coil.
Sex 2-3 times a month, aged 50. If you went to a consultant and told them you were trying to conceive they would tell you it's never going to happen with these odds.
It is a small risk though. What would you do if you got pregnant? Would your partner use condoms for a couple of years?

Condoms ?

It's a possibility if you still have periods. At 50 I'm nine months into hoping they have stopped for a year, then I know I no longer need contraception.

Oh my god, imagine finding yourself accidentally pregnant at 59.

It’s incredibly unlikely but not impossible. Although if you read threads on here it seems nearly everyone knows someone who conceived the only month of unprotected sex aged 55.

Highly unlikely but not impossible.

I had my second at 44, so pregnant at 43. Which I accept is a long way from 50, but still has some proximity. I hear what you are saying, but maybe some barrier methods for a while? Condoms have really improved in recent years and I used a cap for a while, which was a bit fiddly (took out some spontaneity), but also worked for us.

Don't be fooled by the live birth rate at this age. This is highly unlikely, even if it occasionally happens. What is more likely to happen is a pregnancy followed by a miscarriage. I wouldn't want to put myself through that.

If a pregnancy happened it would likely end in miscarriage at that age.

You can also still 100% catch STIs if you both haven't been screened.

When you evaluate a risk there are two questions:

• how likely is it (in this case, not very)
• what is the impact.

Only you can answer that. Would you be shocked but excited? Shocked and horrified? Sanguine or devastated to feel a termination is the best option?

When you know those answers, that tells you what you should do about sex and contraception.

It's highly unlikely but unless you get some fertility checks done, you can't rule it out. Sod's Law would say you might well get pregnant when you don't want to, so personally I'd make sure I couldn't.

Condoms?

A friend got pregnant at 49 and has a lovely preschooler now!

At 60? I do not think he would be keen