Is 37 too much old to have a third child?

[summerfinn]

Is 37 too risky to have a third child? Are the chance of having a disabled child too high to risk it. Would a healthy 37 year old be putting their health at risk by having another child at this age. Also is it unfair on the child to have an older parent? Thoughts please?

I had my children at 19 and 24, both have disabilities.
Age doesn't have much to do with it.

She asked if it was unfair on a child to have a mum that old, which is a totally different thing.

I'm sure younger mums wouldn't like the same thing being asked in such a way.

If you already know risks are (slightly) elevated, that's it.

If you want to chat and sound off about what's right for your family, go for it. Don't ask for people's opinions on whether 37 is "much too old" to have a baby.

Off course the question was inflammatory, and designed to get backs up.

Of

Many women at starting to have kids at 37.

“Blaming DH and his mighty sperm” 😂

did you find it easy to tell your babies apart as newborns? I know someone who has identical twins and the first 3 months they painted the toe nails on one baby so they could tell them apart 😂

I've had kids in my teens and twenties and in my thirties.

That's 30s one was rough.

Hats off to the 40s Mums. Superwomen.

I would have a baby late 30s or 40s if it was my first. Wouldn't risk it for a third.

Obviously older maternal age does increase various pregnancy, birth related risks. However, if you’re generally healthy, the overall risk of things like serious birth complication are still reflectively low.

I’m 38 with 2 kids and personally I absolutely wouldn’t do a third. that’s mainly for other reasons though (not wanting to deal with the sleep, not wanting to start again with a newborn). Age wouldn’t stop me if I really wanted a third. Though I would be wanting to do it pretty soon.

@Vintagecreamandcottagepie she asked if it was unfair on a child to have an older parent not as you worded it "old mum", after a stream of risk related questions, I don't think the question is inflammatory, I'm sure it's a question all mums ask of themselves, when considering having a child, the impact their age will have. I'm sure the OP has had a barrage of comments in her life about having a child young so she is mindful of the impact age can have and now wondering as she is towards the latter end of her fertile years.

I had my second at 37 and it felt like a totally normal age to be having a second child. My age was never mentioned at any appointments, I had a textbook pregnancy and a healthy baby. Loads of people have babies at 37. Did you make a typo and mean 47?!

Medically yes, is it old unfortunately. People can say that they had a healthy baby and were absolutely fine having a baby at 40 etc, but statistically yes you are more likely to have a disabled baby and greater risk to maternal health the older you are. It's not personal and it's not an attack on older mums. It's just medically factually correct.

I wish people would stop banging on about how very normal it is. Do you all live in the same place?! Because I've lived in 2 countries, different villages/towns and cities, and 37 would be considered older in all of them.

I had my 3rd at 39 (4 days away from turning 40) and she's perfectly fine. But I have to say it varies for everyone and even though I am an older mum, I had my other two at 24 and 30 and they were a hell of a lot easier during the pregnancy.

I doubt it, but I suspect it's more about demograph. Most of my friends haven't started families till their mid 30s as they've gone to university, forged a career, etc. I don't have any friends who have been younger than 31 when having their first baby and most have been 32-35 with a couple in their late 30s. Other people will have the opposite experience where everyone has started having kids at 22!

Exactly. I can't believe that posters are getting so offended when the risks for older mums are higher. The risks are only slightly elevated, but they are raised, nonetheless. Maybe it doesn't feel nice being described as an older mum, but facts should come before feelings every time.

I’m guessing none of those areas straddled Zone 1/2.

@Abacusporttaco ah, so this is a London thing?

No.

Hope not as I'm expecting my 2nd now and will be 37 by the time he/she arrives...also not ruling out a third after that!

Sorry posted too soon! No, it's not too late--plenty of people I know including myself had babies in their late thirties, even first babies let alone second. Don't worry about it, and don't let it stop you. There is a lot of misinformation about late pregnancy but in general you're safe enough in your thirties.

It can be a socioeconomic thing, yeah. Some people prioritise travel, income, career and prospects, before settling down. For some, the other things prevent the ‘settling down’ due to lives being busy and international.

For some people it’s a fertility issue. The causes of which can often remain unknown.

Some just don’t happen upon the idea of children until they get older.

No and I’m a bit shocked you are thinking it possibly is?!? I’m aiming for number two maybe around then; if I have a no. 2 that is. My mum had her third at 40 and her fourth at 42! So not at all imo

@Hugasauras nice try, but I and most of my friends are university educated The places I've lived range from very deprived to very wealthy areas. Late 30s would be very unusual and 40+ almost unheard of.

Righteo.

@Abacusporttaco yes, I hadn't thought of the last two points, which make a lot of sense.