Pregnant at 38 - how common?

[arbitraryarsehole]

It hasn't happened yet, just a thought. I know lots of people wait these days but would it be considered fairly normal or would I be an 'older mum' surrounded by much younger mums? I feel like statistics and circumstances and things cloud my judgement and now I can't figure out if it's normal or not...

Definitely an older mum but the extent to which depends on where u live. Where my in laws live teen / early twenties are the norm but where I live yes you'd still be an older mum but you'd stand out far less.

It would be very normal where I live. I’m a young Mum at 31! 😆

Normal. I had my second at 36. You should still be able to get pregnant fairly easily for the next couple of years but don't delay if you can help it.

I had my one and only at 38.

I had my DD at 42.

And I wasn't the oldest mum I met. In fact I went back to work in a Science Park in the SE and lots of women there had a child or their only child in their 40s.

In fact it was quite funny as you could roughly tell what role a woman did by when she had her children.

What's wrong with having a baby at 38?! I had mine at 40..life begins at 40!

If you live in the south east/middle class area you'll be very average, I'm 37 and often the youngest in mum and baby groups

Totally normal here in London, no one would bat an eye. Had my first at 37 and am pregnant with numbers 2&3 right now at 40.

In terms of ability to conceive, I'd say don't delay but don't be too negative. It's not necessarily doom and gloom and you never know until you try.

I’m 38 and pregnant. It’s not uncommon in our area for people to wait (West London).

Very normal around here. I was 37 when I had my first (and only) and wasn't the oldest in my NCT group. Didn't struggle to conceive.

I was 38, my next door neighbour was also 38 and the lady down the road was 36, all had our babies within a couple of months of each other. My midwife said they don't do any other testing til you're over 40 now so you're an older mum but not too old by any means

Was completely normal when I was pg at 38 in London.

In fact I had my first at 33. I was the youngest in my nct group and at most playgroups I went to.

I've moved up north now and people here do seem to have kids younger - probably because theres not the same financial pressure of a London (high) mortgage and London nursery rates.

Very common here in London.

I had my first at 39. Would have been 38 but needed a TFMR. I'd highly recommend getting an NIPT as the risks are higher the older you get, and it's far better to know sooner than later.

Pretty normal in very average West Mids too! Our NCT group went from 25 to 41 (if I remember rightly), I was at the older end at 35 but by no means the oldest. My bed neighbour on the antenatal ward was 46!

I think mid to late 30s is pretty unremarkable these days, generally.

Thank you everyone, that's really nice to hear. To clarify I don't think there's anything wrong with being pregnant at 38 & I'm annoyed at myself for caring about whether I'll be an older mum!! I think I've just been overthinking it.

In London very normal.I expected to be the oldest woman there at 42, I was a long way from it.

I had my DS at 38 after years & years of trying and I was grateful to be a mum at all, so didnt care if I was considered old. ( On reflection I think i’ve been a better mum being a bit older.)

But really quite normal these days to be a new mum in late 30’s.

First at 39 and 5 months, 28 years ago and second. 2 years later. Perfectly normal in Berkshire even then.

My daughter was 35 when she had her first. She will be 36, nearly 37, when her 2nd is born at Christmas.

My daughter had a career and did the travelling before she settled down, so she was more than ready for it.

She is not going back to work for a few years as her partner is happy to be the wage earner.

He works one full-time job on nights where he can sleep for some of the night.

He works driving during the day. He manages it, and he is young. He catches up on his days off.

My daughter has turned into a right mother earth. I didn't even know if she would have children. They may have more she says

I am pregnant with my 4th and I'm 36, will turn 37 just after they are born. I had my others at 23, 29 and 30. Compared to the other school mums I'm not unusually old to be pregnant. There have been a few pregnant at 40+.

Conception wise this was my hardest road to successful pregnancy. It didn't take long to conceive but I did have two miscarriages, something I had never experienced before. That could be nothing to do with age and just be luck though, there is really no way of knowing.

Round here the majority of ‘middle class’/professional/working mums would be 35 and up first time mums. University city near London

Where I lived for my first at 35/36 I was definitely on the older end but where I live now there was a huge age range. I was 37/38 while I was pregnant and the women ranged from very early teens to definitely older than me by some way.

Very normal indeed round our way. I had my kids at (nearly) 39 and 42.

I have one friend at the school gate who had her kids in her mid - late 20s. She seems very young in comparison to everyone else standing there!

When the DC was born, I was on the ward with pre eclampsia. The younger mums on the ward waiting to give birth were all smokers, the over 30s were not. It was quite a marked division. They were nice gals despite sneaking off for the odd fag

Agree with the other posters. 38 would be completely normal to have a baby, especially for professionals who have been to uni etc.