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.

I had my last of 5 at 42. Having had my first at 30. Was completely straightforward pregnancy and delivery. I know loads of people that had difficult pregnancies and deliveries in their 20’s whereas I had textbook easy pregnancies and deliveries. I wouldn’t have another but that is because 5 is a lot financially not my age although I wouldn’t have intervention to get pregnant. I might have had more though if we were much wealthier.

37 is young (I had one then too!) - I was back in my jeans the morning after I delivered and on the school run within days. You know how your body though and how you cope with your existing children (which should be the biggest determining factor) - 3 is a big step up from 2 (although 4 and 5 not so much in my view, for me personally anyhow). My youngest is at school now and I don’t feel old at all - I have a full time demanding job and am not objectively older than many of the other mums at the school gate - maybe I’ll feel older when he’s 18 and I’m 60 but to be honest that is a long way off right now. I love the busy household we have created.

35 was my limit. All the literature and things I saw in hospital described 35 as an 'older mum' so I didn't want to be one of those!

But you must of had those worries in your 20's when they were going clubbing thinking the same about you?

Mine was 35. I had 2 already, but I always had 35 in my head as the oldest that I would have one .

I think because I would still like to be fairly young when the kids are more independent and move out etc. I still wanted time to ‘get my life back’ & have holidays and go to restaurants again just the 2 of us. Not that I don’t enjoy them, obviously.

It was also my cut off point because I get really ill during pregnancy and develop epilepsy again. I think if I was any older, that it would have polished me off.

Fortunately, my partner gave in and we had our final one at 35.

My first is due end of April and I am 36. It took us years due to infertility issues unfortunately. Hoping to be two and done by 40 max.

I was 37 when I had my second & last,hes 5 now & I would not have been able(didn't want to) go again,when I was pregnant with him I knew that was it.

This.

For me, it was 30 because I wanted to have mine in my 20s. I would have been fine with going up to about 33 though if we had needed more time.

it all depends on circumstances though. Had I not met DH until a decade later, then I would have had my kids a decade later so I would have given you a different answer.

my friend wanted hers before 35, but cancer treatment and subsequent IVF meant she was 39 having her first.

you can only do what feels right for you

I think we'll be aiming for our 4th and last at 35. I'm pregnant with no. 3 atm with a smaller age gap than between my first two and its really tough. We'll wait a few years till the next one. Let the kids be older, get us more comfortable financially.

I guess it's when you feel like it'll be too hard though or how old you want to be when rhey have kids. I want to be an involved grandparent and offer alot of help that we don't have

I had first (and only) at 37, and was fit, healthy, and conceived easily. No idea why some people act like it's ancient - most of my friends had children aged 35-40. None of my friendship group intentionally got pregnant under 30.

I did think about having another at 40, but didn't feel I could cope mentally at the time. By the time I did feel I could cope I was 42, and decided I felt too old - so I guess 40-ish was my cut-off. I'm still having regular periods at 44 so I assume I could still conceive, although they have started to go a bit haywire in the last year.

I wasn't in the slightest bit interested in having kids in my 20s - couldn't have thought of anything worse 😂I do wish we'd got on with it a bit earlier in my 30s, but we wanted to buy a house first for stability (and my god I'm glad we did).

Mine was 30, I had them all by 29.

Mine was 35 but that’s because I have a maternal history of entering menopause early. My sister was 33 and my mother was 38 so I thought I should plan for the worst case scenario.

I had our last baby at 35. I’m currently 37 and still experiencing regular periods. I wouldn’t have another baby now but that’s not due to my body, more to do with how bloody hard it is compared to my 20’s.

Had my first at 30. She's only 20 months old. I want one more. My maximum age is 35 I think.

Same, I had a baby at 45 after having one at 40. Absolutely amazing pregnancies and births. I’m 54 now and my kids know we are probably the oldest parents of their friendship group but it is what it is. It’s me and dh second marriage so we met later.

I'd always have said 35 but I couldn't imagine myself personally having a baby after 32. I realise that's young and most women I know have babies up to mid 30s.

I had my second and last one at 37. I would have loved to have had 4 dc but timing was not on my side. My personal cut off was 40 due to not wanting to have to support a dc through uni into my 60s.

I also have a DSIs with significant additional needs and I didn’t want to take any of the extra risks associated with conceiving in my 40s (and DH is slightly older than me).

45 I think if they have older siblings - my last was 40 and it was my easiest pregnancy and birth. I did try for another and kept getting pregnant until 49 but, sadly, miscarriages with all of them.

I didn't want kids then fell pregnant at 33, totally changed me and had another (after a miscarriage) at 37. Felt amazing with both but knew I was pushing my luck to go for a third due to age. Very happy with what I have and fortunate that I was fit and well. I think early 40s is absolute top line for health reasons.

I’m 39, and pregnant with my third - they’ll arrive before I’m 40, but our personal cut off was arrival before age 41 - we didn’t want to keep trying for a third indefinitely, and that would have been too big an age gap (for us) with our older two, and at some point you have to draw a line. We’re just lucky we didn’t have to.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain What rubbish.

I’ve just had my last at 26. If I could I would have had one more by 28 latest, but I started at 20/21.

I was almost 38 with my first and 41 with my second. Great pregnancies (aside from a not age related challenge with recurrent miscarriage that requires treatment) where I was physically well and births were good too. I didn’t feel too old!

BUT - time, resources, and my own challenges with being a good parent (I had crap parents myself) would put me off ever having a third. Not age! I also value my career and financial independence quite highly so wouldn’t want to make further sacrifices to that.

I was 33 having my youngest and we didn’t want another but haven’t felt actually too old to have one until the last year or so, I’m 44

Personally, trying to be done by 30. I want 4 or 5 though so it's going to be tight, I think!

If I'd started later, then I'd definitely have a later cut off though. Maybe 40, if I'd had my first baby in my early 30s.

Yeah, same here. I know very few women who had a baby in their 40s, and I live in a middle class area, and close to an upper class area. I know many very well educated professionals, and the vast majority had their first baby by 31-32, and the last by 38-39.

Despite many posters on MN claiming 'everyone in their social circle' has at least 2 babies in their 40s, most people in real life do not.