Too old to have babies?

Question

I am turning 23 this year. Most of my friends have children. I am barely done with school. When is it too old to have children? I mean, when do your eggs go bad? People have been telling me after age 25. I thought after age 35 it would be harder to conceive?

Woah, woah, woah..I do not want children right now. I am thinking my late 20s..I just wanted to know when it would be a risk to have babies. Thank ya!

Answer 1

After age 35 it is harder to conceive and their are more risks. My aunt had a surprise pregnancy at age 40 and everything went fine. But I would definitely wait til you are ready and don't let people influence you.

Answer 2

I have seen that 35 is listed by many users as the point of risk for childbearing. The truth is that while 35 is a "marker" for healthcare providers known as "advanced maternal age," you certainly can conceive and carry a healthy child well past this age. It can be more difficult to conceive after the age of 35, and the risk of birth defects and conditions such as Down's syndrome increases, but fractionally as you get older. More children are born with Down's to women under 35, but this is because more women under 35 are having babies. The risk does go up. So does the risk of miscarriage.

Eggs don't "go bad" all at once. In your early 30s, your chances of getting pregnant are only a little lower than in your mid 20s. But as you get older, your eggs age too, and that means it may be more challenging to conceive. For what it is worth, I conceived my first child without any trouble at the ripe old age of 37 (two months of trying using an ovulation predictor kit). He was born last June perfectly healthy, and I had a typical pregnancy. My friend, who is my age, however, had trouble conceiving and had to go through two rounds of in-vitro to conceive and carry a baby to term. So you just don't know. My grandmother had four children after the age of 35, so perhaps my genetic makeup has something to do with it.

I think you should speak to your gynecologist about your concerns. You certainly shouldn't run off and have a baby before you are ready emotionally and financially to do so, and it sounds like you are a little uncomfortable with the idea but feel pressured by your friends. You are way too young to be feeling the biological clock ticking down!

Answer 3

I had an aunt who had a child at 49! A bit much for my taste and the child was classed her "premenopausal" baby...usually after 35-36 it's a little harder to conceive but not impossible. A 60 year old woman recently gave birth, so I guess it happens when it happens :). You are still young and just because everyone else has children doesn't mean you have to also. Have children if/when it's right for you because then you are able to really enjoy them and give them a good life.

Answer 4

There are women out there having chiildren in their 50's. Not many, but enough. I had my children when I was young - 22-26. My children waited to have theirs - 35-38. Their kids are fine ... they are a little worn down running after the kids, but so was I.

On the other hand, one of the considerations for having children while young, is that you have more of a chance for Down's Syndrome babies the older you get ie 1 in 10 chances if you are age 48.

About.com says: How does aging cause loss of female fertility? Although menstrual irregularities generally begin to show in the last half of the 5th decade (a time termed perimenopause) there is a marked decrease in fertility in the 10 years preceding this that appears to be independent of male or pelvic factors and despite the occurrence of regular menstrual cycles and ovulation. Similarly a decrease in success rates for IVF is seen in this population as well. The discussion then seems to focus on whether this decrease in fertility is due to ovarian factors, uterine factors or both.

So, hang in there ... and have kids when YOU are ready, not your friends.

Answer 5

I got pregnant the first time at 27, the second at 30 and the third time at 32. No problems getting pregnant, with the pregnancies or the deliveries and I am fat! Over 35 you are considered high risk. The older you get it can be harder to conceive.

Answer 6

heh... after 25 your eggs go bad? Yeah, uh-huh... could you please inform there friends of yours that I have the brooklyn bridge up for auction on ebay? Tell em if they act now I'll even be so generous to throw in a nice sized portion of ocean front property in Arazona. I commend you for waiting until you feel ready. No your eggs do not "go bad" at 25. but after 30-35 your risk for chromosomal problems and complications does go up a bit. Women are haing babies as late as 50. One woman was on the news a couple years ago as the worlds oldest mother at the age of 65 (I think...) You are not "too old" until menopause and you could still get pregnant after that (generally you would need fertility treatments though). While I don't recomend waiting quiet that long I do suggest waiting until you are in a nurturing, caring relationship (that's a permanent arrangement) and are finacially secure (then again who amoung us can ACTUALLY afford children lol). Don't give your friends comments a second thought, you've got plenty of time left to have children you old maid you. (why you're almost a spinster at the old age of 23) lol

Answer 7

your right the older you get the harder it is to conceive. And the older you get the more problems the baby can be born with. Your safe to wait until your 40 to have a baby its all up to you and your future spouse. My aunt is 42 and has a 25 year old and a 16 year old recently divorced her ex-husband about 2 years ago and is about to remarry and she and her new man are going to have a baby in 8 months. She has to be watched more closely because shes a little bit older. but so far everything is going great. Your OBGYN can tell you when its no longer safe to conceive a baby. don't rush just because your friends have kids. Be yourself and have kids when your and only you are ready to have kids. good luck. ♥

Answer 8

You're good till early to mid 40s. Then the risk of birth defects increases. It is a little harder to conceive then, but alot of people are having children later in life these days.

Answer 9

After 25?? that is way to young, most women don't have their children till after 25, whoever told you that is not right, it is considered high risk after the age of 35. My husbands mother had her tubes tied and still got pregnant with him when she was 40 years old, she had a perfectly good and healthy pregnancy.

Answer 10

"At 35 you're half as fertile as when you were at 25; at 40 you're half as fertile as when you were 35." - The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority.

It does get harder to conceive the older you are. But at only 23 you still have a long time to go, no worries. :-)