What's your upper age limit for having last baby

[Suburbiton63]

Just that really!
I am 37 would love one more (a third) but just don't think I can put my body through I again.

My mortgage was paid off in my mid 40s. Self employed and don't feel need to be physically near grown adults

A friend of mine sold her business a few years ago once her kids started breeding and been travelling the world ever since

I'm certainly not wealthy either lol.

I think ideal situation for me would've say travelled from 18-24 then kids at 25, 27 then they all grown by time I'm in late 40s. Trouble is even without kids I couldn't have afforded to travel then as had mortgage to pay and no bank of mummy and daddy supporting me

But you must recognise that it's very fortunate that you have paid off a mortgage in your mid-40s and that's not the norm? Most are still very much working full=-time to pay a mortgage at that age. Plus you are self-employed too which is more flexible than being an employee.

A friend of mine sold her business a few years ago once her kids started breeding and been travelling the world ever since

Obviously this is possible if you are lucky enough to have a business to sell, but I really don't think most people would want to do this, especially after their children have...started breeding.

Not saying anyone should be joined at the hip to adult children at all, but I don't know many that would happily go away from them for months, and certainly not their grandchildren when they will change so much over that time.

But what's the difference if the grandchildren are in the same country but 300 miles away like 3 of mine? Or should I tell my DD to move her family nearby?

Fortunate at paying off the mortgage. Maybe I did it as was working and paying it off when others were travelling and on the piss or even still at uni.

Whichever way round you do things re kid people are allowed time for themselves

I didn't have an age limit, I just played it by ear and had dc at 33 and 36. Only wanted 2

I don't mean fortunate you paid off your mortgage as in it was just luck, obviously you have worked hard and paid for it, I just meant that it's fortunate to be mortgage free so young and it's not the norm for most, so travelling freely at that age would not be possible for them even if they did want to. Realistically most would need to be in their 60s to do this.

Re your grandchildren, of course everyone's circumstances are different - I am thinking of my own situation where my child sees grandparents regularly so they would miss a huge amount if they went off somewhere for, say, 6 months.

I think one of my friend's parents did go away on an extended trip to Australia a few years ago so obviously people do do it, but this was pre-grandchildren for them.

Currently 7 months pregnant at 42, having an absolute arse of a pregnancy, had a brilliant first pregnancy at 36. Not sure if its my age as every women in DH's family also had terrible second pregnancies whether they were in their late teens or early 40's though.

If I had my time again Id probably start a bit earlier but I definitely wasnt ready in my 20's and I was able to take nearly 3 years off with DD1 and no immediate pressure to return this time, both have stable jobs etc - I don't believe there's a perfect time and I hate it that women are judged for when they chose to start a family

Yes because it seems the norm ( sometimes) to do all the interesting stuff first then have kids. If I'd been a middle class young adult living with mummy it probably wouldn't have happened as I'd have spent my wages on other stuff.

So all the people who did do that can't expect mortgages paid off early

Absolutely agree and I find it judgemental and petty when woman argue about when the best time is.

I also agree and hate myself for engaging with these threads, they are always a car crash😂

This one was surprisingly civil actually

I would add though, young parenthood is viewed more negatively than older parenthood - in my opinion anyway. It’s seen as irresponsible, ruining your life, boring, restrictive, and you have no prospects and no enjoyment.

You just have to brush it off. We all chose to have children because we wanted to (in most cases), and we (presumably) enjoy it. Whatever age or circumstances you have children in has drawbacks and positives which pretty much equal out. There is no best age. But when a question is asked, people need to argue and debate🤷‍♀️

I had my fourth at 30, I did start very young though which I wouldn't really recommend. In hindsight I probably would have had my kids between 30 and 35. I don't think I'd have wanted to be much older than that. Each to their own though.

My 4th was born a few months before my 43rd birthday. It was hard,I had GD and ended up having a cesarean

I’ve seen equal hate and judgement to younger parents vs older parents and most of the time it’s always at the mum rather than the day in my experience. It’s a shame in 2026 we are still judging.

There is no right time and even if you feel the time you had kids “was right” then it’s because it felt right for you.

I always see the arguement of “but you’ll miss out on travel and partying in your youth” vs “eww who would want to change nappies at 44 years old” and it’s so shocking to be honest on both sides x

Agree it's silly when people get nasty/rude on these threads. Ultimately we all only go where our lives take us and do what's possible for us as individuals. There are not many people who are ready for children at 20 but choose to wait until their 40s to have them, it all depends how your life worked out. There are good and bad parents at all ages.

Yes exactly. You can be a great mum at 18 and a great mum at 43 equally a rubbish parent at 18 vs a rubbish parent at 43. Who cares, not your monkeys not your circus and all

I’m in my 20s and had my first at 16. Most people I know my age without kids aren’t travelling the world. Some of them told me they didn’t want to be like me as they were “focusing on their careers” and lo and behold they are working in the exact same job as me.
They didn’t get the memo that you only get to say that if you’re training to be a lawyer or something else that requires zero distractions.

Also different strokes for different folks but I hate drinking my body must process alcohol differently from other people because I get a severe hangover straight away so partying through my twenties would have been a nightmare anyway. That’s not me coping either I genuinely hate drinking

Absolute max is 40. Had my son at 35, and wouldn't want more than a five year gap for him and a riskier pregnancy for me.

Have to say, I think I'm done though. He's a delightful child, and I've held a couple of newborns recently and felt zero urges for more. More interested in having adventures with him.

We agreed we’d stop trying once I turned 35 just because we felt like we were elongating our time with small children, and we had our first when I was 16 so we’d already had almost two decades with a child. I got pregnant at 32 with my third in the end so it didn’t cause an issue.

had my youngest at 35 and honestly the thought of going back to the newborn phase now makes me want to cry 😂

37 is definitely not too old at all, loads of mums at our school gates had their lasts at 40 or 41! but you really have to listen to your body. mine are at primary school now and just being able to sleep through the night and not deal with nappies anymore is pure bliss. i would love a third in theory but i am just too knackered for the reality of it.

if your body is saying no, don't feel guilty about stopping at two!

38would have been my cut off because of age gaps and job role. I would have loved another but life did not work that way.

I was one and done by 28. It was a great age imo. I’d been to uni twice, travelled, lived in another country, partied very hard, bought a house and got married. Now 43 with a dd15. Having dc hasn’t stopped us travelling or my career. I did a doctorate when she was young and have a great career. Worked PT for the last 8 years. Mortgage paid off.

I’m making plans to buy a holiday home in the Med and will spend a lot of time there (whilst doing a bit of work) within 4-5 years (when I’m 48ish) when dd has gone to uni.

My best friends started much later (though they’d been with their partners as long or longer than I had) and they had their dc in late 30’s and one at 40. I appreciate that we’re at different life stages now but when I see them running around after toddlers and toilet training, alongside peri symptoms whilst managing aging parents I’m just glad it’s not me. Each to their own though.

I was 34 with my third and last, my husband was 40 and that was the cut off for him. If he was younger I think we would've tried for a fourth but now I'm 38 I definitely feel I'm too old for another

Mine was 35 but mostly due to when I started having children as opposed to thinking 35+ is too old, I had mine in my 20s and said to myself we need to decide by 35 if we want a 3rd. I didn’t want massive age gap and I didn’t want to spend another era of my adulthood in active parenting.

Oh yeah I don't mean I regret having children. I just mean I regret that I couldn't have them younger. Maybe regret is the wrong word, then. Rue? But I mean I know I'm very fortunate overall so it's not a big deal.

I’m not sure why people have to be so judgemental of each other. The question was about the age after which we personally would want to have our last child. I originally wanted to children between 30 and 35 which tbh is similar to my own Mum and Grandma but I’m pregnant with first at 33 and don’t want 2 under 2 so guess I’ll up it to 37/38.

Surely it depends a lot on when you meet the right partner. I’d rather have a child later with the right person.

I had my last at 36. It was fine. No issues at all. Was a very easy baby though so that makes a difference. My cut off would be 43-45.