How old is "To Old" for a woman to have a child?

Question

Does the child have any benefits of having an older parent? Or is the child stigmatized for having parents that are older than their friends parents?

Answer 1

How old is too old? There are benefits of having an older parent they are more "settled" for lack of a better word. And just as there are 19 year olds with kindergardeners -there are 49 year olds. Ask the teachers which they would rather have in the classroom.

The record breakers have all used artificial means to have babies- and doctors don't put a limit on age if the people have enough money. And bad physical condition doesn't seem to bother doctors either. A 62 year old blind woman with diabetes was deemed an acceptable mom. She had 11 other children, grandchildren and even three great grandchildren. But she had money!

By nature most women have their last period by 51.3 years of age - but most are not producing viable ova 5 years earlier at about 45.

I tell my students to graduate and live a while before settling down- 5 years minimum of just plain having fun. Then if they get married they will be old enough to be settled in a career path and wise enough to know they don't know everything.

Answer 2

I would say 40 would be pushing it and 45 should be the limit. After that the risks of complications and birth defects are too great to responsibly have a child. Men also have an effect of the child's outcome. After 65 the quality of the sperm decreases.

I think most children benefit from older parents though. I think women should be between 25 and 40 when they have the child. I think that men should be 25 to 50. This also insures (but not grantees) that the parents will be able to care for the child.

As for the parents being older than friends parents it really doesn't matter much. My aunt has three children (11, 15 and 18). If she goes to an event that involved the 18 year old she is one of the younger parents, if she goes to an event that involves the younger one she is often one of the older ones.

Answer 3

I was born the year my mother was 45, my father was 3 years older than her. I never felt "stigmatized" for having older parents. It was never an issue for me, or for my friends. And I never really thought of my parents as old, was just amazed at how young my friends parents were.

Answer 4

I know it sounds rather strange but I would rather see an 18-year-old woman have a child than a 48-year-old one. A lot of women my age have already gone through menopause and even if I were to try for a child now, I really don't think I could have one unless I underwent extensive and expensive fertility treatments. A hundred years ago, women my age were considered elderly and it was very common for 18-year-olds to have already had a child.

Answer 5

my mom was 46 when she had me. my dad was 40.
i think that maybe 40 is around the oldest to have kids. not that its necessarily bad to have kids after that.
its just that your parents become less healthy faster than most kids.
im 14 now and my mom is 59. shes not very healthy. it can be kinda hard on the kids.

Answer 6

It's interesting because at the age of 30 I gave birth to my third and last baby and am sure that as soon as a woman passes the age of 30 and becomes pregnant, in her medical notes she is referred to as an 'elderly multigravida' or elderly primagravida if it's her first child.