Ladies - what is the oldest you would feel comfortable getting pregnant?

[SDFgirl]

How old is too old for you - PERSONALLY - to get pregnant?

I was just wondering...my grandmother had my mother when she was 38. My mom has always said that was too old - not healthwise necessarily, but my mom always felt so "removed" from her mother and she things the huge age gap had something to do with it. As if my mom was an afterthought when my grandmother had mentally moved past her childbearing years.

For me - I'm 32. I think if I were to have another baby, it would have to be before I was 37. After that, I think I would feel like I was definitely done, whether I wanted more kids or not.

 

[beattyfamily]

How timely that this post should come today, after having heard that the woman who got pregnant with twins at age 66 died, leaving her 2 year old twins with no parents.

Personally, it would be between 35 - 40, depending on the circumstances of my life.

In general, for all women, I think there definitely should be a limit. I'd say after a regular (not premature) medapose....most ethical doctors won't impregnate a woman over 55. That's a good cut off for me, but I'd prefer 50 actually.

 

[TangaroaTiki]

30 and I made it just in the nick of time w/ my 3rd and last child

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My cut off was 35.

 

[mickeyboat]

I had mine at 28 & 29. I am 38 now, but don't feel like I would be too old to have another. I feel like I would have a lot more patience for a baby at this point, and I would be a better mother because I have more life experience under my belt.

 

[NHdisneylover]

For me PERSONALLY I had just turned 26 when my youngest was born. I would not have wanted to be much older (maybe 28). I had a very young mom and I liked how we could relate on music, etc. I like the energy I have to keep up with my kids (most days). I see abslolutely nothing worng with other people having kids in their 30s or 40s or what have you but for ME it worked better to have them young (note: I had already been with DH 5 years when DD was born--she was a honeymoon baby but we had a long courtship. I really do not like to see any couple of any age rush into having kids when they have not had time to really get their relationship onto solid footing yet. To ME that seems to increase the likelyhood that the relationship will struggle when the kids come).

 

[momof1princess]

i'm 38, and i don't think i could do it again. i have 2 former high school classmates with very young children-one has a baby that just turned a year old and the other is currently pregnant (and has 3 older children), and i don't know where they find the energy.

 

[Hoodie]

Nowadays 40. people really are younger than they were in the past (if that makes sense). In the past few years I've known people having kids at all different ages. It seems that having kids at a fairly young age seems to "age" or mature women early while the older moms seem to be kept "young" by having kids.

Just my observation (by any means do NOT take this as an endorsement to have kids to keep you young!)

 

[RadioNate]

I'm 34 and I am rapidly reaching my personal cut off. If we don't decide on a 3rd in the next few months I'm done. I really think 36 is about my limit. I don't know why.

The saddest thing I ever heard was a 40 year old man who just had his first child told me that if he knew then how much energy it would take he would have never had the child.

 

[java]

I had my last child at 39. I have 4 children and I hope they never feel like an afterthought.
I had my first at 28. Second at 32. Third at 37 and forth at 39. It just is the way it worked out. I had several miscarriages in between second and third so when I was able to have number 3 and 4 I was THRILLED! They were far from an afterthought. I can't imagine my life without a single one of them.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I was 39 when my youngest was born. He was certainly a surprise for us. I would not want to be much older than that personally.

I do have to make a conscious effort to do things with him that I did with my older 2. I may not want to go back to the children's museum for the uptenth time but I do it for him.

 

[Becky2005]

My cut-off was 35. My last one was born when I was 35.

I'm 41 now and feel too old to have any more. Of course, it also could be because I have the older ones, the last pregnancy was harder on me as I felt more aches & pains, more easily worn out, etc... than I was with the other ones. If I didn't have any -- I might have been OK up to 40 - 45 but I'm doubting it.

I know with our last one DH was over 40 and he thought that was too old even as a guy to be having kids...looking at the flip side down the road for when the child is 20. So, I know he definitely feels too old to be having anymore kids which you usually hear only about the mother thinking "too old".

 

[NMAmy]

For me, it would have been my early 30's. It's not so much raising a toddler while I'm in my 40's that would bother me but the thought of raising a teenager while I'm in my 50's that I don't think I could handle.

I'm 46. DD just graduated high school and is off to college. It worked out well for me because that girl can just wear me out.

 

[KimR]

I had my girls at 30, 35, and 38. I'm 47 now and I'd love to have another one if I could. For me, personally, I think 50 would be the limit.

 

[lspst8]

Well, I'll be 30 next month and also getting married, so I don't currently have any children. Personally, I don't think I'd want to have a baby past 40. If everything works according to plan, I'll hopefully be having a child at 32/33 and a second at 35/36.

Out of all of my close friends from high school and college, only one person has a child currently. We all went to college and macy of us to grad school too, so it would have been really tought to be a "young mom." And I didn't meet anyone I wanted to have a child with until I was 27, and a couple of the friends are still searching I shudder to think about what my life would have been like if I married and had children with my college boyfriend

 

[Becky2005]

For me, it would have been my early 30's. It's not so much raising a toddler while I'm in my 40's that would bother me but the thought of raising a teenager while I'm in my 50's that I don't think I could handle.

That's the side I always look at. I'm the youngest of 3. My mom had me when she was 28. I always loved how they have had tons of time after I was grown up to go do whatever. Although 3 year olds can try my patience (I find that age MUCH harder than 2!!!) -- I could handle that. It's the sassy teen years I'm not sure I could handle being older. I already have my first one going through it and I'll be happy if we both survive and I know I have 3 more times to deal with it. UGH.

I have a hunch I'll be like my parents! Everyone asked them if they were sad I was leaving home, etc... I'm thinking NO WAY -- they were HELPING me pack trying to get me out as soon as possible.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I'm 27 and I personally would like to have kids between 30-35. My Mom had my brother and I when she was in her early 20's (my Dad was early 30's). Most everyone I know has had at least one kid before 25. I just like the better financial freedom I can have waiting to have kids later but I don't want to chance the health risks having children after 35 (or dealing with a teenager later~I was awful, I can't imagine dealing with someone like me when I'm in my 50's!).

 

[NHdisneylover]

For me, it would have been my early 30's. It's not so much raising a toddler while I'm in my 40's that would bother me but the thought of raising a teenager while I'm in my 50's that I don't think I could handle.

I'm 46. DD just graduated high school and is off to college. It worked out well for me because that girl can just wear me out.

Exactly. I can handle toddlers all day long--worked in preschool toddler rooms for years. But even the roller coaster ride with my oldest who is 12 (not quite a teen) is exhuasting I lvoe her to pieces, but I am glad I will parent teens as an older 30s, young 40s parent. I need all my wits about me--and the sharpest memories of my own teen years I can muster.

I think DH and I will be 45 when the youngest is a Frehsman in college.

 

[lemondog]

Personally I feel too old now. I am 37. I was 29 when my oldest was born, and my twins were born the week after I turned 32. I know technically I could still have more, but I know that it would be rougher this go round because I am older. My grandmother had babies up into her 40s, and this was back in the 40s and 50s when women had babies YOUNG. She must have seemed ancient!

 

[paintnolish]

21 years ago, my mom had my youngest sister at 40. I don't think that is too old at all. I would be comfortable with the early 40s, personally.