Can a 51 year old get pregnant??

[indimom]

EEK, stop with the dream stuff!!!

About 10 days ago DH and I both dreamed I was pregnant on the same night (different types of dreams, but I was pregnant in both).

He's been fixed for 12 years and we'll both be 40 this year.

You are FREAKIKNG ME OUT!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Whenever I read of people who would be horribly upset to be pregnant, I want to say "Don't be so sad; I'll adopt the baby!"

She used rhythm method to plan the "date night".

Agh. I'm all about "taking charge of your fertility" and watching for ovulation cues and all of that, but even at 42 I'm watching things like a hawk, because I'm expecting changes. (of course, I'm watching cues because I WANT to have another baby, very different) To be using even that method, let alone the traditional, not very scientific, rhythm method, at that age, when you're wanting to AVOID pregnancy...that's just not the best decision ever.

I was just watching something on TV the other day and Doctors now think that we aren't born with all the eggs we'll have over our life time that we do in fact grow new eggs over time.

That makes SO much more sense than "ya get what ya get". Glad someone is looking into it further.


Best of luck to your aunt; and remember that first sentence I wrote here.

 

[JessicaR]

I guess we will find out in about 9 months, won't we?

Keep us posted!

This!

 

[tar heel]

That's an interesting idea that fertility automatically cuts off at 50. Fertility begins at different ages and it ends at different ages. The average age of menopause is 51. My doctor says until a patient has gone ayear with no period, she considers them fertile. I suspect she has some reasons to think that.

 

[MickeySP]

I am 50 but still regular as when I was 30. My gyn says yeah possible but not probable. It would usually take effort at this age but yeah can happen.

I joke u would know - I would on the roof

 

[JessicaR]

I dunno I'm 49 and had a recent FSH of 17. I could certainly get PG, if I had a Uterus.

 

[jsmith]

Im 51 and had to sign a consent form to get an endrometrial ablation because all my hormones and my cycle say i could still be fertile-therefore i would say yes at 51 she could get preggo-

 

[diznymom]

Absolutely. There is no magic age not to conceive. My doctor let me know that I was more likely to get pregnant during peri-menopause than I was during the rest of my child bearing years. Yes, it is scary.

 

[LuvinLucifer]

I saw an interview with a reproductive endocrinologist on some talk show who said that the chances are like one in 10,000 after 50.

 

[LuvinLucifer]

My doctor let me know that I was more likely to get pregnant during peri-menopause than I was during the rest of my child bearing years. Yes, it is scary.

Your doctor is wrong. Fertility drastically drops after 35.

 

[HelenePA]

Your doctor is wrong. Fertility drastically drops after 35.

I would think it depends on your body... One of my friends who is a little older than me has has twins and a singleton after 35... I think after 35 the chances of having a child with a problem rise... of course I've already had that lightning strike when I was 21.

 

[NMAmy]

I don't know why you think 50 is THE magic age. Any woman having a regular cycle could conceive. A 'regular' cycle is caused by eggs not being fertilized thus causing the menses. If she didn't have eggs left, she wouldn't be 'regular'. She could easily be fertile and sperm lives for several days sometimes. You guys need the 5th grade movie and talk again. I know several women who's babies were born mid to late 40's. One friend of mine had a sibling younger than his own children. His mother was suprised to be delivering a baby; she thought she was sick.

Amen--I remember a few of my mother's friends having a surprise baby in their late 40's/early 50's. I also remember my mom spending a ton of money on a shower gift because she was so grateful it wasn't her.

Just assuming that 50 is the magic no more pregnancy age makes about as much sense as the old story that you can't get pregnant the first time.

Whenever I read of people who would be horribly upset to be pregnant, I want to say "Don't be so sad; I'll adopt the baby!"

You know, I have a 31 yo stepdd and a 21 yo dd. While I'm looking forward to grandkids, yes, I would be horribly upset to be pregnant myself at my age (almost 49.) There's nothing wrong with being horribly upset about it. Due to other issues, a pregnancy would be very risky for my own health not to mention all the other problems that would go along with it. I've raised my kids to adulthood and I refuse to feel guilty about not wanting to have another.

Your doctor is wrong. Fertility drastically drops after 35.

I think a lot of the pregnancy possibilities comes from the attitudes showin in this thread. Some women just assume they can't get pregnant after a certain age or they may have skpped a few periods and assumed that they were already through menopause. That may be why they are more likely to get pregnant because they're more lax about precautions.

I would not recommend, however, that anyone take the word of someone on the internet over their own doctor.

 

[Disney Doll]

Yes it is possible. It would be unusual but it is possible.
If she is concerned, she should take a pregnancy test.

 

[deegack]

Your doctor is wrong. Fertility drastically drops after 35.

As a general population fertility declines after 35 but it can be different for different people.

Also women tend to ovulate more than one egg when they get close to the end. That is why even absent fertility treatments older women have more twins.

 

[Nancy]

At my last Ob/Gyn appt, my Dr told me that women should use birth control for up to 6 months after their last period of menopause as there is the possibility of still ovulating. So, yes, it is completely possible for a 51 year old, especially one with regular periods, to get pregnant.

How would you know when your last period is? I mean until you haven't had one for a year you really don't know if it's your last one. I've gone 5-6 months and then come back and had them regular for 6 or 7 months. I'm going to be 54 this year and still won't think I'm done until I've gone over a year without having one.

Im 51 and had to sign a consent form to get an endrometrial ablation because all my hormones and my cycle say i could still be fertile-therefore i would say yes at 51 she could get preggo-

I was 53 and had to take a pregnancy test before I had my thyroid ablation done in September since I'm not done yet, they wouldn't give me the radioactive iodine without taking the test.

 

[tar heel]

The year is arbitrary, too, which is why a lot of docs do a blood test at that point.

 

[Coconut36]

Absolutely. There is no magic age not to conceive. My doctor let me know that I was more likely to get pregnant during peri-menopause than I was during the rest of my child bearing years. Yes, it is scary.

I don't think that is because you are more fertile but because people get lax with birth control in perimenopause because they think they are "safe" or because their cycle can become irregular and unpredictable and people who don't use BC during "safe" times will be at greater risk because when it is "safe" isn't easy to know anymore. So I think you are more likely to get pregnant due to being lax/thinking you don't need protection.

My OB told me breastfeeding often results in most of the pregnancies she sees. People think if they breastfeed they will not get pregnant or if while breastfeeding they haven't had a cycle they will not get pregnant but you ovulate before you have bleeding so if you are not practicing bc you can get pregnant. Maybe it was because I was post baby and breastfeeding but she told me that was when a lot of women she saw got pregnant.

 

[Coconut36]

How would you know when your last period is? I mean until you haven't had one for a year you really don't know if it's your last one. I've gone 5-6 months and then come back and had them regular for 6 or 7 months. I'm going to be 54 this year and still won't think I'm done until I've gone over a year without having one.

You aren't supposed to consider yourself "done" until it has been at least a year with no period. And that means nothing..even some spotting has to be considered and would mean you have to start counting over again. It has to be absolutely nothing at all for a full solid year to be thought of as the "last".

 

[goofy4tink]

Absolutely possible. Age makes no difference. If you are getting a period, every month, then your body is capable of becoming pregnant.
I remarried when I was 41...had several miscarriages, went for fertility counseling. Now, I did have two kids from my first marriage, so I knew I was probably able support another pregnancy. When we found out what fertility treatments would consist of, and entail?? We said no, we would just get another golden retriever!!! Well, 3 months later, I was pregnant. At the age of almost 44, I had my third child. When I went back for my routine checkup, 'things' hadn't gone back to normal. The doctor told me to give it another few months. Okay. When my dd was about 9mos, I went back to the doctor, who did full blood work. When I called to get the results, I was told everything is normal. Ok. So, after another 3 months went by and still no period...at all...I called the doctor back. He asked me if I had called for my results. I said yes, and was told everything was normal. Well, yes, completely normal for a woman who was completely through the change, he said!!! So, those two miscarriages were due to going through menopause. As to why I was able to get pregnant and have a successful birth??? They can't tell me why, but I did.
So, yeah...it's possible. Even that close to the change.

Probable? No, not really. I know that it only takes 'one time', but that usually isn't for us older ladies..it's those teenaged girls that have that issue. We are entering that time when getting pregnant isn't as easy as it was...for many reasons. So, just because your aunt had a dream that she was carrying a baby boy??? Yeah, probably not. But, I guess you'll know soon enough!!

 

[luvmy3]

My aunt is 51 and still has regular cycles. TMI but she hadn't been intimate with her DH for 2 years due to marital problems. Well everything is fine now, and they were intimate. a few weeks ago for the first time in those 2 years. Now she thinks she's pregnant! No signs, no missed period (yet), but she says she just feels like she's pregnant because she had a dream that she was carrying around an infant boy.

So my question is, can a 51 year old woman get pregnant just like that? I thought after 50 women can still menstruate but don't ovulate. She shoot herself if she's pregnant. She used rhythm method to plan the "date night".

Have you ever heard of this??

Okay, she hasn't had sex in 2 years. She has sex and then dreams she is carrying a baby boy. While I'm sure it is very possible for her to get pregnant at age 51, it sounds like she is being paranoid. If she is truly concerned she should call her OB/GYN and schedule a test, otherwise she is just going to drive herself crazy with paranoia.