Author Topic: How old can a mother be to give birth?  (Read 14961 times)

Offline QueenoftheWest

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Re: How old can a mother be to give birth?
« Reply #27 on: Saturday 19 November 22 14:57 GMT (UK) »
This is a really interesting discussion, because I grew up in a family of 'older' mothers, and it is completely the norm for me. I find it mind-boggling when people claim women in their 20s are "running out of time."

I am my mother's first child and I was born when she was 37, going on 38! They called her a 'geriatric primigravida', yet she conceived within a month of trying and had absolutely no problems during the pregnancy.

My mother (the third child) was born when her mother was 37 - my grandmother only wanted two but then my mother came along unexpectedly! - and my father was born when his mother was 36.

My paternal grandmother was born when her mother was 44 and my paternal grandfather was born to a 43-year-old mother. My paternal grandfather wasn't even the youngest child as 3 years later his younger sister was born; my great-grandmother would have been 46 or 47!

My great-great-grandfather has a half-sister, from his mother's second marriage, who is 23 years his junior! His mother would have been around 45 when his half-sister was born.

In fact, it is very unusual in my family to have children under 30; my mother, my aunt and both of my grandmothers were over 30 when they had their first.

Queenie  :)

Offline DianaCanada

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Re: How old can a mother be to give birth?
« Reply #28 on: Saturday 19 November 22 15:06 GMT (UK) »
My grandmother was 38 when she had my father, he was an after thought, apparently, as they used to refer to a "surprise".
Just working on a family in my tree - my relative had his first child at 25 and his last at 62.  From electoral registers it looks like he was living with his second wife before the first one died, and two children were registered with his surname before they married.  Second wife was 30 years younger.

Offline QueenoftheWest

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Re: How old can a mother be to give birth?
« Reply #29 on: Saturday 19 November 22 15:21 GMT (UK) »
Just working on a family in my tree - my relative had his first child at 25 and his last at 62.  From electoral registers it looks like he was living with his second wife before the first one died, and two children were registered with his surname before they married.  Second wife was 30 years younger.

I feel there could be a whole nother thread on how old a father could be - my ancestor (DNA confirmed) was 74 when he had his first child!

Queenie  :)