Could I still be fertile at my age???

[Wek]

I’ve just turned 44 last week and for a few years of being on the pill for heave periods. Came off it about 2 months ago (to give my system a rest and assuming I’m too old to get pregnant really) and had a bleed then the last couple of days have had the egg white consistency discharge (11/12 days after the start of my period)

I have 2 teenage children (13/17ish) who I adore and whilst it would be lovely to have a 3rd in some ways (kids would love it so would DH) I feel like I’m past it emotionally and physically, though financially we’d be fine and we have 4 bedrooms etc..

I didn’t start my periods until I was late 15/16 and I fell pregnant 1st time with both my children and everything worked out great. I fell pregnant at 40 despite being on the pill ( though TBF I had antibiotics and various other medications say that it can interfere with contraception) and it wasn’t the right time so that was the end of the pregnancy. I never wanted that to happen again so I used the pill, until I turned 44 and to give my body a break as it’s unlikely to happen….

The egg white consistency on day 11/12 since my last period makes me wonder if there is still a chance? It’s like last chance saloon. I’m feeling a bit torn….

I didn’t even think I’d have any ‘symptoms of ovulation’ at my age, but I wonder if starting my periods 3/4 years later than average, means I’ve got that bit longer than the average woman?

Contraception is recommended to be used until age 55, unless menopause is confirmed (no periods for 2yrs if <50 or 1yr if >50.

So yes, at age 44 there's every chance you are still ovulating fairly regularly.

Women sometimes do have babies in their late 40s. There was a series of articles in The Giardian a few years ago about the experiences of one of the journalists who had a baby at 46 (I think).

I am late 50s and I had post menopausal bleeding last week and that meant I had to get checked out at the hospital. The consultant gynaecologist saw the blood and said "it looks like period blood, you might be perimenopausal". I'm sure she was wrong but had she been right, maybe I could have conceived!!??

amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/24/luisa-dillner-pregnant-older-mother

The journalist gave birth at 47.

Yes. A friend of mine is currently pregnant at nearly 44. It had never happened for her so she had given up and didn’t bother with contraception. She is absolutely delighted since she thought she would remain childless.
If you aren’t pregnant why not have a Mirena coil fitted, they are fantastic for heavy bleeding and help through perimenopause. I sailed through 40-55 and only started adding in a bit of oestrogen when I hit 55 because of mood swings.
If you have a Mirena you don’t need to take progesterone with HRT. I could probably coped without HRT but went through a stressful period mid 50s.

My mum still had regular periods into her fifties. No more children for her though by choice but by her reckoning she was still fertile. Entirely possible, only one way to find out!

A close friend's sister got pregnant from a one night stand at 50.

Just shows you! 😳

Bludy hell, she said it could be period blood at late 50’s? Just goes to show, anything could be possible for us women, despite what we’re told!

I’m baffled as to why you’d assume you couldn’t get pregnant at 44 😳 unless you’ve had signs of peri and then tests to know you’ve gone through the menopause it’s certainly possible!

As long as you have periods you can get pregnant. It has nothing to do with what age you started your period.

Most women hit menopause in their early 50s.

I’m 53 and a half and still having regular periods, ovulation pain and EWCM. I really wish I wasn’t! But I still use contraception, just in case. Oddities and outliers abound in human biology, and I don’t want to end up as a story in the ‘And finally’ section on the local news.

I understand why you’d think that @Pigeonqueen and you’re absolutely right to wonder what the heck I was thinking!

I suppose I hear of all the struggles many women go through to conceive at various ages and how difficult it is to pregnant in your 40’s, that at 44 I was in my mid 40’s so very very unlikely to conceive/be fertile

I think you need to bear on mind that at 44 (i am the same age) getting pregnant isn't the only or even main issue. Rates of miscarriage or foetal abnormalities are high.

OP- Why do think woman at 44 can't conceive??? I know 3. Unless your periods stopped several years ago and you are clearly post menopause. Have you never heard the term of a 'change of life baby'???

My friend had her DD at 49.

I’m certainly not disagreeing with you. I suppose I assumed it was so unlikely that it was ok.

Crikey

My mum had me just before she turned 47, so yes, it's definitely possible!

@Wek there is 25 years between her eldest and youngest.

I'm fairly sure that multiple births are more likely in older women too. Think your ovaries are effectively having a closing down sale and fling out extra eggs.
Having unprotected sex at 44 is really risky unless you are happy to get pregnant. I strongly suggest you talk it through with your dh and think about what you want to do.
Honestly I would be more suprised if you WEREN'T still fertile.

There are loads of threads on MN full of 40+ women who have had babies.

I had one at 43, no problem.

A woman I know conceived at 50, after a year of no periods. (She chose not to continue with it). I wouldn't take any chances!

I got pregnant at 44, hadn't used contraception since having ds 6 years previously, marriage ended, met new partner & was pregnant within 3 months but sadly had a miscarriage at 16 weeks.

It's because we're brainwashed to believe fertility drops off a cliff at 35, and if not at 35, then certainly at 40.

There was a thread a couple of weeks ago with a 42 year-old OP where half the posts were people telling her she was "extremely unlikely" to get pregnant at 42 and the other half were posters who had had babies in their early to mid-40s.

So you can understand why there's confusion on the topic.