How old can a mother be to give birth?

[Ian Nelson]

Both my grandmothers had children born in 1949 though my paternal grandmother was born 1902 and my maternal granny in 1903.
So I have 2 Uncles who are 2 years younger than me, both still alive and well.
One grandfather was born 1901 so he was 48 but the other was born in 1884 so would have been 65.
Of course, there have been sniggers and rumours of a mystery boyfriend - but only DNA testing will find that out.
cheers, Ian

[DianaCanada]

It might follow that a delayed puberty can mean a longer fertile period.  It is thought that most Victorian girls did not menstruate until 16, on the average.
Plenty of women had babies at 46, just found one today.  As long as she was fertile and healthy, no problem, but today I think any woman over 38 is considered a geriatric mother.  Who decided that?

[coombs]

It might follow that a delayed puberty can mean a longer fertile period.  It is thought that most Victorian girls did not menstruate until 16, on the average.
Plenty of women had babies at 46, just found one today.  As long as she was fertile and healthy, no problem, but today I think any woman over 38 is considered a geriatric mother.  Who decided that?

Shows that much of the time, the theories that the last child was an illegitimate grandchild, are just that, theories.

I just worked out a female ancestor born 1762 had her last child in 1809.

[DianaCanada]

There is also the myth of very young women, 15 or 16, having babies.  It happened but not that often.  I hear people who have not done any genealogical research say, and of course lots of women had babies at 16.

[coombs]

There is also the myth of very young women, 15 or 16, having babies.  It happened but not that often.  I hear people who have not done any genealogical research say, and of course lots of women had babies at 16.

Although when my ancestor was born in 1835, her mother would have been 51 at the time. The baby had a middle name of a much older sister born 1813 who went on to have more baseborn children. Distant cousins who are doing this line think she was an illegitimate grandchild. Again, just theories, as the mother could have had a bout of fertility before the change, and had a final child at 51. The previous one was born 8 years earlier.

[trish1120]

Just reposting in case you missed this avrilw.

I can see you have been on line.


I cant see a Marriage for Richard Geen to a Agnes but did notice this on F/S.Org

AGNES Berry christened 20 July 1712 Martinhoe to ANTHONY/AGNES

Several siblings christ. 1707-1722
(I checked 1700-1731)

Possible Marriage on FreeREG;

13 Feb 1705/06, Holy Trinity, Challacombe
Anthony BOWRY to Agnis GUB

[phil57]

I have a DNA match to a man who discovered at 82 years of age as a result of his test, that his parents (as he thought and had been led to believe) were actually his grandparents, and his sister, 15 years his senior, was actually his mother. His father, a distant relative of mine, married a different woman shortly after the birth and died a few years later.

[avrilw]

Diana Canada

every time my daughter went to her doctor, he would ask if she'd gone to tell him she was pregnant and then said don't come crying to me when you've left it too late.
She was about 29. I was 26 when I had her and was considered a bit past my orime.

Ian Nelson
some of my family are shall we say 'smudged generations', nothing new there and why the sniggers? Jealousy probably

[DianaCanada]

Diana Canada

every time my daughter went to her doctor, he would ask if she'd gone to tell him she was pregnant and then said don't come crying to me when you've left it too late.
She was about 29. I was 26 when I had her and was considered a bit past my orime.

Ian Nelson
some of my family are shall we say 'smudged generations', nothing new there and why the sniggers? Jealousy probably

I think perhaps your daughter should have switched doctors! 
Certainly there is a “prime” for fertility and childbearing from a scientific point of view, but in reality women can bear children for about thirty years.
I had mine at 27, 29, and 32.  Sailed through the process with hardly a hiccup.