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.

If children are most important thing in life, why shudder at having more time on earth with them? Even if you drop dead at 50, there is a stark difference between leaves my behind a 25-30 year old than an 8 year old.

You can still travel, party, go out with friends, go to university, have sex or have a career in your 20s with children. You can’t ever get back lost time with children and grandchildren. I’m not saying everyone should crack on at 21, but the idea that having your children is wasting your for is telling to me.

It makes it sound like life becomes shit and small after having children. That is a 100% a choice.

My absolute limit would be 32. I don’t want big age gaps with children. I want them to experience my life with me, not join halfway through. Older parents still bring a lot to the table, having children at any age has its costs and benefits.

40 is my limit.
My last pregnancy at 34 was hard, compared to my first (28) and second (32). I'm a fit and healthy person but the last one was hard. Not sure I could put my body through it again to be honest.

I’m childless and single at 34 so my age limit is late 40’s. But I’d really prefer to be done by early 40’s.

My personal cut-off was no more once I got to 30, but I already had 3 by the time I turned 30, having them at 22, 24 and 27.

Hahahaha, OK. School is in the top 1% of state schools in the country. Over subscribed. Full of children from professional homes.

But your negging attempt is noted.

I was 3 weeks from being 41. It was fine apart from HG, but that is not age related.

i wouldn’t want the gap between the kids to be too big so that would limit having a third. Otherwise about 40

It is a balance of biology and practicality (being able to provide a home/financially secure).

That factors in that balance are very individual for most people.

We waited until we had purchased our first house, as we knew once nursery fees were a factor we would have struggled to move from our small flat. So we had dc at 36, from a biology point of view it meant we only had one dc.

While I wish we had two, we were not in the position earlier and life would have been very different if we had dc in our flat. No regrets, just that was how we played the cards we were dealt.

I had my third shortly before my 39th birthday. It’s been fine. I didn’t feel too old. I really wanted to be done by 40 but if I hadn’t had children by then I expect I would have tried.

40

I had my first at 32 and last at 41. It wasn't what I would have chosen but just how things worked out and I feel fine now (at 46), pregnancy wasn't too different to the first, second DC has no issues. At 37 with 2 children, I'd have had another if I wanted one (personally I never wanted more than 2). I think you just have to decide based on your life, your existing children, how you feel, how your body handles pregnancy etc. There will always be people who have a definite cut off but quite often they seem to have had all the children they personally want by their cut off age (eg " oh, I had 3 kids by 30 so 32 would be my absolute cut off").

I had my third and last at 33. For about 5 years after that I think I would have physically managed another, but emotionally, financially, mentally, etc, I was absolutely done and could not have even considered it.

It does vary so much though. I have a friend who had her first at 42 and seemed to just sail through it!

Im 36 and won’t have another even though I’d love a 3rd. I don’t think I could cope with being pregnant, plus my eldest is 16 and youngest is 4 so already have a massive age gap from kid1

For me absolute cut off was always going to be 40.

I turned 38 a few weeks ago. I had my sons at 34 and 36. I am completely done! I just could not do it to my body again. But I have no desire to have another baby so it is an easy decision for me.

I was 37 I said 39 at latest but tbh I found it hard and wished I’d done it 35 or younger

I'd have preferred to have children no later than 35, but circumstance prevented it. I had my first at 33, second at 36, and would consider a third before 40. I do slightly regret being an older mum, though. My own parents are older and it's sad that they won't have as much time with me and their grandchildren.

I think 35. I'm 36 now and while I've always felt that it was something that could happen, I now feel that it's too late. So without consciously thinking about it much, 35 must have been my subconscious cut-off point. I wouldn't feel morally comfortable having a child now.

I had my last baby at 42. I had said I wouldn't have babies past 30, but we have 6 now, and 5 of those were past 30!
I haven't felt any of my pregnancies or births have been any harder as I've aged, and I don't find it any more work looking after a now 1 year old than I did when I was in my 20's. It's all very individual though.

I had DS at 38, 4 months shy of 39.

Exactly this. The woman I know who has just had a baby at 41 herself has old parents. So the grandparents are late 70s. The grandparents don't babysit or do much helping with the children because they find it too much and will be lucky to be around to see the children finish primary school. Whereas I'm hoping to meet great grandchildren.

30, though had my last at 28 wouldn’t have anymore after 30

I had my last at 35 and now he is nearly 18 I'm glad I'm not older. It feels about right with him hoping to go to uni this year and my parents still in good health and not needy yet.

35 max. Plus 2 children already is more than enough. The planet is screwed. Their futures are getting bleaker and bleaker.

27, because we already have 3. We’re both done. Vasectomy booked and ready to go!

I did have a bit of a wobble and say I maybe wanted one more but DH put a stop to it and said I’d have to get rid of my car (which I love) and get a big ugly mini van. I don’t think I actually wanted another child, I think it’s the finality of it. Realistically I think we have enough children. Once they have left we have discussed being open to fostering, probably emergency placements - but that’s a long time away. If I had waited later in life I would say my limit would probably be 38? 40? But you can’t really comment on these things when you don’t know. My mum had 6 kids, I was the last at 40 and she always told me she’s glad she had me but it was bloody hard, much harder than the others.

41. Had him at 42. Conceived first time and no complications throughout. Menopause at 52ish, periods just stopped one day.