How old is too old to be pregnant?

I guess it depends on what you can cope with, I saw this post and my immediate thought was being pregnant at 60, 70 and beyond is a bit much, I suppose for the health and wellbeing of all concerned kids and parents.

38 is not old at all though!!

I agree with everyone else about age being a state of mind.

38 isn't at all old, I know loads and loads and loads of people who have their first when they are 40. Sometimes it's just what life throws at you that makes it turn out that way.

In my former life I was a secondary school teacher and I have seen everything in terms of ages for parents - from the parents I nearly asked if they were older sibblings to the parents I assumed were grandparents. It takes all sorts to make this world we live in and if you're up for another child - GO FOR IT    (In my opinion, there's no "right: age, but yeah 68 does feel a little hmmmmmm)

no I dont think 38 is too old to be pregnant.

a mum in my antental group was almost 37 when her son was born.

I always wanted to have at least one child before I was 35 (turn 35 in January) but that was more an idea not a must.

and heck my nana was 45 when she had her last baby and is still alive at the age of 94!!!

My Mum had me at 37 which these days isn't considered old to be starting a family at all. She already had 3 children that were 15, 13 & 11 at the time.
All my sisters waited until they were well into their 30's before starting a family.
I think the one thing you have to consider are the risks are much higher as you get older. There are higher risks of things like downsyndrome and a much more increased chance of multiples after 35.

Also I think you have to be prepared to be active and involved 10 years down the track. I remember my Mum never really being all that involved in my life as a teenager :( I think she was pretty over the whole running around at sporting events and hosting kids partys by the time she was hitting 50 & I was only 13 then so I needed an active and involved Mum. Although that maybe says more about the person than the age :) Everyone is different. Age is just a number and 38 is certainly not a high one lol

Edited by lisa85

I must say that I do enjoy my last child more which I had just after my 30th. But I my reasons may be a bit weird for some.

Because I was pregnant at 19 I felt like I had to prove myself. I had to be supermum, finish uni and support myself. I was looking at becoming a single teenage/just turning 20 mum and the stigma that I felt was attached with that. So I can say that I didn't really enjoy being a mum as I was so busy trying to sort my life out. Both DH and I were just kids ourselves.

We got back together after all the drama and got married and I had my second child. At that point we moved overseas and with so much going on I didn't miss the good times but I didn't appreciate them with my son. Mind you they were short lived as he was such an active boy and by 9 months he was walking and life was crazy.

Finally my third came along and it was a real rocky start. She was a troubled baby and finally after surgery at two and a half she settled down and I can really appreciate her now and we have fun.

I think circumstance comes into it. Being older I think you have the time to focus on babies as everything else is in place and life isn't so crazy.

The downside of having kids young for my DH is that when he takes my 14 year old out they don't know if he is a older guy preying on a kid or a brother to her.   He looks barely 20 and has been mistaken for my son twice before even though he is 1 year older than me. For me is when I joined the PTA and one of the mums had a son my age. Her daughter was the same age as mine and was a surprise later on in life.

The good side is I now have a legal babysitter whilst my friends all have toddlers so we have a social life again.