s/o of last baby/mom's age thread -- very late-in-life "surprise" babies?

[Halftime Hope]

I am very interested to see what you all had posted. I was thinking about this quite a bit in the last couple of weeks, as I approach/begin perimenopause. (forty eight...but feeling much younger)

 

I'm interested in knowing how many here know someone who has conceived and had a baby in their very later years, as in, well after (for example, more than ten years after) their other youngest children. Please limit your answers to someone you actually know IRL, well enough to know their real age with that last precious baby.

 

Thanks!

Edited September 25, 2010 by Valerie(TX)

[angela in ohio]

I had a 46 yo friend who thought she was going through menopause, but was actually pregnant. She was devastated.

 

I also know several other women having babies intotheir mid-40s, but they weren't surprises. :001_smile:

[AFwife Claire]

I have 2 friends that had babies last year. One was 45 and one was 44. Both thought they were done and had miscarriages the prior 2-3 years. Both babies were so excitedly welcomed!

[Alphabetika]

Does it count if it wasn't a surprise? We had dd#3 unsurprisingly when I was 41. See siggy for current dd ages. I have had friends who had babies at 43 and 45, but these babies weren't surprises, either.

[kathkath]

I voted 40-45

my neighbor had a surprise, with a middle schooler and high schooler. they didn't think they could get pregnant because they had infertility.

[cathmom]

Sorry, I voted before I read your explanation. I have a friend who just had her ninth child and she was 44-45 at the birth. But there's only about 3 years between that one and the last one.

[amy g.]

I have a dear friend who had a surprise baby at 48. That child was such a blessing to the family. That made me think I wasn't too old to have Miss Bossy at 40. We all spoiled her horribly because she was our last.

 

I had two miscarriages before her, and another one after her. Then my cycles quit being regular. At 43, they stopped altogether. I finally took a test even though I kept saying, "I'm sure it is just my age." SURPRISE!

 

I had Miss Happy at 43. The pregnancy was uncomfortable, and felt so long, but she is such a priceless baby. I'm glad she is here. We are Catholic, and believe that no child can be born unless God has a specific purpose for that person.

 

You can see the spacing of my children in my signature. Miss Beautiful and Miss Bossy are inseparable. They play together, they read together, they sleep together despite the 8 year age difference.

 

Miss Good loves the baby, and tells me at LEAST 5 times a day how much she likes her, and what a good job I did making her. I'm so happy that my children are close, and will have each other to lean on their entire lives.

 

The downside is that Miss Happy still sleeps in our bed, and nurses all night. I'm 44 now, and desperate for just one night of sleep. That part is harder than it was in my 20s. I also had a postpartum depression after Miss Happy that was horrific, and I would never want to go through again.

 

Even so, although I am certainly not trying to conceive, I am open to another child. I'm happy with our family exactly how it is, but if God thinks we are the right parents for another baby, I will believe that He knows what I don't and than another baby will eventually be for my own greater good.

 

I'm not too keen on the puking part or the labor pains but.......I think I could do it again if I needed to.

[lisamarie]

I am friends with a whole bunch of Catholics who practice NFP which has led to quite a few later in life blessings. I can think of 8-10 families off the top of my head. Most of them have a very large gap between their last 2 kids. Of those that I can think of, I know that 4 of them were around 42-45 when their kids were born, but I don't know about the rest--they were over 40, but not sure how far past 40.

[AuntieM]

Would love to hear some details on those of you who know of babes for those 50+. (NOT that I'm thinking of having another, just curious! Tho dd5 keeps asking for a little brother or little sister... gah!!!!)

[sagira]

I just met a nice, young-looking, athletic-looking lady recently who got pregnant 20 years after her last! She's 47 and 5-6 months pregnant, and after having two grown boys, she's having a little girl. She says this is her blessing, as she survived an attack over a year ago in which she almost died. She was left wondering what her purpose in life was, and now she's pregnant.

 

She homeschooled both her children too. I really like her :)

 

I actually know a lady who had her FIRST ever baby at 52! Definitely planned, though. She had her naturally and is breastfeeeding. Good for her.

[coffeegal]

Would love to hear some details on those of you who know of babes for those 50+. (NOT that I'm thinking of having another, just curious! Tho dd5 keeps asking for a little brother or little sister... gah!!!!)

 

Irl? A surprise at 54. They worried through the pregnancy, but the baby was just fine.

[sassenach]

A couple in our old church had a surprise baby 14 years after their last child. Their name became a verb. As in, "I wonder if I should get my tubes tied. I don't want to get Hoag'd!". All in good fun, the baby was an absolute blessing. They always are!

[Guest CarolineUK]

Ooh I do wish people would stop posting these threads - oh, I know, I should just ignore them and not read any of the posts - but I was just beginning to come to terms with the fact that 46 is much too old to have another baby (which realistically it probably is), and then you go and start putting temptation in my way ... :001_rolleyes:

 

Better not let DH know - if he thought I was wavering even a little he'd be doing his best to convince me that it was a good idea, as would the little boys.

 

No, I mustn't, I really mustn't :tongue_smilie:

[Once Again]

When I was in junior high, I had a teacher that had a surprise baby when she was 53. Her other two were already in their 20's. Later, at around age 60, she got pregnant again, but miscarried.

[Mom in High Heels]

Well, I didn't know them when they had the babies, but my grandmother was 49 (just 3 months from 50) when my dad was born (the youngest of 9). His oldest brother was 22 and married when my dad was born and his oldest sister was 21 and just about to get married. I have a cousin who is 4 years younger than my dad. My grand parents slept in separate beds the rest of their lives after my dad was born. I wonder why? :D

 

On my mom's side, my grandmother was 46 when my youngest aunt was born. She had given birth to 12 children.

 

My great-aunt had her last baby at 54. She had 10 other children, the oldest being in her 30's when the youngest was born.

 

James Bond and I will both be 38 when this "surprise" baby is born. There will be no more. James Bond is getting the big snip before he's allowed to touch me again. :lol:

[Wildiris]

This is a scary thread!

[JeneralMom]

My g-pa was born in 1921 and his youngest sibling was born a few weeks before my mom in 1945, so there is a 24 year difference between them, and he told me once that she was in her early 20s when she had him. So, she would have been in her mid to late 40s. Youngest was number 12 BTW.

[AMDG]

I am friends with a whole bunch of Catholics who practice NFP which has led to quite a few later in life blessings. I can think of 8-10 families off the top of my head. Most of them have a very large gap between their last 2 kids. Of those that I can think of, I know that 4 of them were around 42-45 when their kids were born, but I don't know about the rest--they were over 40, but not sure how far past 40.

 

We're a Catholic family, and naturally know lots of Catholic families. I know two moms who had their last children at 43 and 45 respectively, and the whopper, another mother who had her 7th at 48!

[FloridaLisa]

Valerie,

 

I skewed your poll. :tongue_smilie: I should have voted that I know several (3 that I'm thinking of right now) that were 45 (and one 46 I think), but they were not surprises.

 

Lisa

[Peela]

Does a dream count? :) This morning, after reading this thread before I went to bed, I dreamed my 53year old girlfriend was pregnant. I woke up thinking, that was wierd!