What age do you consider too old to try for more children?

[BottySpottom]

Title says it all really. I guess it depends how many children you already have, if any, but what is the oldest age you think you would still consider having a child?

I would say that i would follow natures lead, if I was able to have more children naturally in my early 40's then I would go for it.

I'm 40 & my DH is 54. We have an 8 yr old DD & 6 yr old DS. DH also has 2 grown-ups sons from his first marriage, we all get on great. We are seriously thinking of trying for a third child. Too old? We don't feel it!

when i had my first 2, i aimed to complete my family with no 3 before i was 35. I was actually 39 when i finally conceived her. I had already decided that if nothing happened before 40, i would stop trying and move on. Following dd3s birth NOTHING would make me want to try for no4. We were both lucky (and with fab doctors) to both come at alive....blessings are counted daily.

would hasten to add that i have friends who have had babies as late as 45- it was fine for them- it is not for me. All babies are welcome additions to this world and I would never judge anyone for their choices!

Hi BS-I remember you from previous posts-How did your scan go?Thinking about you today.Tommy

Doesn't it depend on your attitude to larger age gaps, and the age of current DC?

DS is 2 now. I don't want an age gap of more than 5 years between him and a potential second DC, so if I haven't had another child by 33 I'm not going to. Many many people haven't even started their families at 33.

35 for me. I am booking in for my Essure as a birthday gift.

For other people? I don't have an opinion, they should do what suits them.

I would like a 5th but at present its not possible so ive given myself a cut off age of 43,i had my dc at 17..19..21..33 (almost 34) and i feel ive taken the time to enjoy my youngest more which has made want another one.

well, we had dd1 at 26 and dd2 at 29, all over before i was 30.....until we decided that we wanted number 3 and she arrived when i was 39 and three quarters. i had said that we would try until my 40th birthday( we did take a while to conceive her), but in all honesty, i kind of doubt that we would suddenly have started using contraception again.

i do feel our family is complete, but if we had had dd3 a few years earlier, maybe we may have gone for number 4. i say that as long as you have not hit the menopause, then why not if you are willing to accept the risks (and lets face it that is a personal choice and one that you take with every pregnancy regardless of age)

oh- i do think that 62 is too old

Personally 40 would be my cut off point, but my friend of 43 just had her 4th and final baby.

I had DS at 35, and I plan to start trying again when DS is 18 months so I'll be 37 then. I always planned to have 2, but no more than that (I think).

Well I', nearly 42 have 6 kids, the oldest is just 11 the youngest 2.

I would like another. The cut off for me would be 44.

THe age 35 is flitting about my mind as a cut off point but I think that is more because I know fertility halves then so its more that I believe you should try for all your babies before then rather than you shouldnT have them after that age i.e if you are TTC and are over 35, you shouldnt be suprised if you can`T manage to.
Otherwise I think up until your menopause is perfectly fine. Nature knows best as far as I'm concerned. My friend had her 6th child at 42 and when she went to the doctors asking about chromosonal disorders, her doctor reassured her that most of the cases he has seen have been with women in their twenties so there is never any guarantee. Also, I am 28 and my friend (now 44) has far more energy than I have. But she is superwoman (I mean 6 kids...!)
I am totally against women having babies after their menopause is over though. I find that shocking.

For me it would be 39.

For me i want to be finished before im 35 mainly as dp will be 53 then, dd1 would be 16 and i already have 4 dd's now that im 27.

I had my third at 37.

That was old enough for me!

I had my first at 38 and I didn't feel remotely old - lots of women around me were much older first time mothers than me.

There are huge material advantages to being an older parent, IMO.

My great grandmother had her last child at 47. naturally conceived. It was fairly common.

My grandmother had her fifth live birth at 45 and it was no big deal. My uncle has had a very happy and successful life.

My dad's mother had a surprise baby at 47, her sixth.

Better her than me!

I felt shattered during my last pregnancy as I had a 5-year-old and 2.5-year-old to run after as well.

DH finally getting the snip.

Hurray!!!

Yes, my dad's surprise brother just celebrated his 60th birthday last week!

He's an anaesthetist and a professor of anaesthesiology and a grandfather himself now.

If you already have other children, the ease with which you go through pregnancy and childbirth and early years will be pretty dependent on the amount of domestic help you have.

My grandmother had a full-time maid (albeit in a house with NO mod cons) and used to employ a village girl to pram push every afternoon while she sat down with a book.

Personally, I don't want children any later than 37/38. Overall though I'd say about 40. Although I am aware that many many women have done it much later than 40 and have managed fabulously.

But I'd be concerned about risks and physical capability.

Agree it depends on personal circs.

I always wanted to have my first before I was 30 and my last before I was 35. That was before I realised I'd quite like 4... .

As it worked out I had my first a few weeks before my 37th birthday and am currently expecting DS4 who will hopefully be born just before I turn 44 . I consider myself a v v lucky woman.

Man/Woman plans, God laughs!!

For me I have 40 in my head, but it's just a personal thing and a lot to do with the age I started (32 when dd was born).

My mum had her youngest at 27 because she started at 23. If she'd kept going at the same rate she would have had around 13 children.