Too old to have a baby?

[WhoEvenKnows987]

In your opinion what age would you say is too old to be pregnant with a baby? Is late 30s too old?

Considering another DC and I'll be 43. It might be a pre menopause urge though, as my current DC are really sweet and easy company, so it may be daft starting again 😂

It's different for everyone. I wouldn't have wanted one any older than 35 but others will feel differently.

I had my first at 27 and a surprise 4th at 39!

It's very personal. 40 was my cut off. In the end. I was only able to have 1 at 34.

I think I'd try up until about 42/43. I had my second at 39. It's been more tiring than my first but that could also be because I have two now!

Each to their own.

I had my first dc at 34, second at 37, dc will be 16 and 14 this year while I will be 51.

I manage many staff in their 20's who's mum's are younger than me, which has got me thinking how nice it would be to be my age with grown up children and the freedom that comes with it.

But it's all good, my teens keeps me busy and I'm enjoying these last few years of parenting as I know it!

I had my second at 41. Tbh on these threads you always get people who had 3 kids by 30 saying 35 would have been their absolute cut off. But if I hadn’t had dc, I’d have kept trying for however long I had. Life doesn’t always work out perfectly in terms of timing for all of us. Yes the risks are higher but there’s a risk regardless.

Had mine at 41

First at 37, second/last was 3 weeks before my 41st birthday. Both conceived naturally in first cycle of trying, no other pregnancies. Both are robust, healthy and extremely tall pre/early teens.

I've just had one at 38. I say go for it.

However old YOU think is too old. Why would it matter what age anyone else thinks is too old?

MY cutoff for ME was 37, it was moved from 35 when I hadn't managed to have the 3 I wanted by 35 lol. If we weren't done I'd have probably gone up to 40, we have the 3 we wanted though and are stopping. I wouldn't judge anyone else for having children later on, there are parents at school in their 50s and 60s with 5 year olds (their bio children) one mum told me she thought she was menopausal and went to the doctors to discover she was pregnant at 46. One of the dads is well into his 60s. A lot of people hold off having children until mid-late 30s these days so it's become more the norm anyway.

I had my last 2 dc at 37 and 43. Got pregnant effortlessly. 1 natural birth and Last one emcs due to blood clots at 35 weeks . Assured weren't age related just bad luck.

@WhoEvenKnows987

In your opinion what age would you say is too old to be pregnant with a baby? Is late 30s too old?

What? Late 30s is pretty normal
Where in the country are you?

I'm in london and a lot of my friends are having their first babies at 35-38.

I had my first at 37 and my second at 41. I’m tired but no more so than my younger friends were with their second kids. We’re financially secure and I have reached a great point in my career to take a pause.

In an ideal world I would have had them between 33-36 but I struggled to get pregnant with my first for many years. My second was a lovely surprise when not ttc!

But to answer your question I think 45 is a decent cut off.

I had my first at 41, second at 45. If anyone has a problem with that, I'll batter them with my pension book!!

I wouldn't go past mid 40's personally. Baby's are hard work (and joyful) and it's a tough age to be embarking on parenthood.

A lady I worked with had her first at 47. They had been married over 20 years and had 6 rounds of ivf which didn’t work. She fell pregnant when they resigned themselves to the fact they were never going to have a baby. The baby is now ten and is a very happy, healthy girl!

I conceived ds naturally at 44, had a problem free pregnancy and gave birth naturally at 45, both DS & I healthy, no complications, ds was 8lb. He's now 13 and doing fine.

So it depends on your genes, your health, whether you have had a baby before etc. Not on what random people on an internet forum think.

Everyone has their own view on this. For me I think people (men and women) should think long and hard before becoming new parents to a baby after 45.

@Katya213

A lady I worked with had her first at 47. They had been married over 20 years and had 6 rounds of ivf which didn’t work. She fell pregnant when they resigned themselves to the fact they were never going to have a baby. The baby is now ten and is a very happy, healthy girl!

I too work with a lady with a similar age and backstory. Her husband was is on early forties when baby was born.

Son is in his teens now. Dad is chronically ill and retired on ill health grounds when the boy was still a toddler. Mum has has poor health throughout her fifties.

It works perfectly for some, but ill health is more likely in our fifties and sixties. So people should go into this with their eyes open.

Late thirties for me is fine though.

Sorry that should have been dad was in his early fifties when baby was born

I had a little one aged 41, and have many friends in their late 30's/early 40's who have had happy healthy babies, but of course risks increase. Something to be aware of...the NHS has restrictions accessing some fertility support depending on your age, 40yrs was the cut off for example in my area. Good luck if you do go for it :)

Late 30s is not too old imo. I have a toddler now (mid 30s) but plan to start trying again in my late thirties.

@Mellowyellow222

I actually agree with you. I used to work in a hospice and on a regular occurrence looked after ladies dying of awful diseases in their late 40s early 50s, whilst their toddler children played at the end of their beds.

It really hit home for me.