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Original poster

how old is too old to have another baby?

33 replies

ladyjess · 08/05/2006 14:59

I swore I would not have another baby after the birth of ds1 but then I had ds2!
I swore I would not have another after ds2 but already I feel myself thinking about doing it again!! what is wrong with me?!
Anyway, I just wanted to know how old you all were when you had your kids. I am 35 now, I know it is not ancient but I want to hear from people who had their kids later than that annd if they felt totally knackered being older, etc.
cheers.

OP posts:
Piffle · 08/05/2006 15:02

I said not after 35, that was assuming (ha ha more fool me) that I'd just get pregnant again straight after dd in 2002. But nope and staring 36 down this year and I'm not going to stop trying in the next year :)

controlfreaky · 08/05/2006 15:06

you're mere babes in arms. since when is 35 too old to have a baby? had ds1 at 35, ds2 at 37. have been knackered for years but not sure that would have been different if had had them couple of years earlier.
bf has dd1 18, ds 16 and ds2 2(!!). ds2 when she was 44 (v big suprise to all, esp her!).

expatinscotland · 08/05/2006 15:12

well, considering someone 63-years-old is pregnant, you're a mere puppy.

motherinferior · 08/05/2006 15:13

Christalmighty, girl, I didn't have my first baby till I was 37.

tessasmum · 08/05/2006 15:16

I had DD at 40 and DS in November (at 43) Yes I'm knackered but so are all my younger friends with toddlers and a 6 month old Grin LOVING it though.

NotActuallyAMum · 08/05/2006 15:39

I think it depends totally on how the two people feel themselves - don't think there is an age as such at which you are 'too old'

Piffle · 08/05/2006 18:15

Exactly I had ds when I was 23, dd when I was 32 so I've been parenting already for 13 yrs...
But I'm so liking it I could do it another 30 :)

Feistybird · 08/05/2006 18:17

38 with the first.

Totally knackered ?? Yes, not because I'm old, but because I rarely get a night of unbroken bloody sleep.

Yes, I am bitter....

DumbledoresGirl · 08/05/2006 18:36

I was 35 when I had my third child and 38 when I had my fourth so if you want to go for it ladyjess, I would say, do so. I don't think I was any more tired than when I had the first two although I was in my thirties with them too so maybe I know no different!

Filyjonk · 08/05/2006 18:37

27 with 2nd.

And I'm knackered.

It cannot get worse than this.

Go for it.

ruty · 08/05/2006 18:37

my mum had me at nearly 42. Smile

ggglimpopo · 08/05/2006 18:38

I had first baby at 24, then one two years later, then another at 35 and my last baby at 40. You are as old as you feel....

NotAnOtter · 08/05/2006 18:40

ladyjess! I have just had my 5th at 38 and am now thinking maybe......

Had 1-24 2-26 3-28 4-35 5-38 6-?

Personally i am thinking of spanning another decade!!!
You have loads of time but i do wonder when i will stop having these feelings???

Alipiggie · 08/05/2006 18:41

36 with ds1 and 38 with with ds2, 18mnths apart. Knackered absolutely to start with. Now both at pre-school for three hours a day, me footloose and fancy free. It it any harder being older - nope it's just the same for everybody. And anyway, aren't you just as old as you feel, and yep somedays that's 93 :o. Sleepless nights are the same whether you're 22 or 42 in my opinion. Having to get up and go to work after that must be the killer though. I was lucky enough to be a SAHM.

NotAnOtter · 08/05/2006 18:42

my babies sleep through from birth thoughWinkGrinBlush

LucyJones · 08/05/2006 18:43

something to think about and something that hasn't been mentioned is how long do you want to have left afterwards iyswim. If say you have a baby at 45 chances are you won't be able to retire at say 60 or 65 as you'll still be saving up for university

iota · 08/05/2006 18:44

plenty of older mums on \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1368&threadid=74421&stamp=060508174453\this thread}

ggglimpopo · 08/05/2006 18:44

Missed one out - had one at 32 too!

PrettyCandles · 08/05/2006 18:45

I started at 34, so have no standard of comparison - no idea what it would have been like had I had my first in my 20s! But I can't say that it made much difference, between my two. Personally, my cut-off point for having children would be 40. I want to be young enough to enjoy them throughout their lives, and for them to enjoy me, too. Also, I want to be young enough to be able to regain (rebuild) some of the couple-ness between dh and me, that we inevitably loose through being so overwhelmed in childrearing. So, I hope that, by the time the chilrden are old enough to leave us some time to ourselves, we will still be young enough to rediscover each other.

sottovoce · 08/05/2006 19:05

I was 35 when I had DD and am now TTC again. Will be at least 37 when db2 arrives (assuming I get pg again). My friend's sister had children at 30, 32 and 47. Last one was planned and is now bouncy 9 month old. Deb is knackered and says it is marginally worse than at 32, but "knackered is knackered" according to her. I have another friend who had children at 23, 40 and 45 and she is positively blossoming with no 3! So go for it!

notasheep · 08/05/2006 19:33

dd at 36 ds at 41,permanently exhausted but no regrets

juuule · 08/05/2006 20:11

number 1 at 27 and number 9 at 43 Grin and my babies don't sleep through from birth.

Original poster
ladyjess · 08/05/2006 20:12

thanks all for your msgs. i know 35 is not old, maybe i just feel pretty old right now with 2 under 3s and just gone back to work.
anyway, your msgs have really made me feel a lot better. thanks :)

OP posts:
ggglimpopo · 08/05/2006 20:26

NINE juuule? Grin

NotAnOtter · 08/05/2006 21:24

sheesh Juule you make me look a lightwieght!
Are you the Mumsnet record holder?
How old is your baby now?

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