Oldest woman you know who has gotten pregnant naturally?

[american_mama]

I discovered yesterday that John Travola and Kelly Preston had another baby recently, with Kelly Preston aged 47 at the time of birth. My googling mostly turned up entertainment/gossip websites speculating that she must have used an egg donor and IVF, which seems like a likely scenario. Those websites often quoted some fertility doctors who said the chances of a woman getting pregnant past 45 (sometimes even 43) were very, very, very small. I was suprised at how categorical the doctors were, as though there was no chance, but neither do I fully trust the tone of those websites.

Anyway, what's the oldest you personally know a woman has gotten pregnant naturally? And did she deliver a healthy baby? I guess Michelle Duggar at 45 would count for pregnancy, but with her miscarriage, she didn't completely beat the odds. We know someone who had a healthy baby somewhere between age 41-43 years, but I don't remember her exact age.

[StantonHyde]

Me at 40. But I have heard of other people who were 43 or so.

[KLD313]

My Uncles step-daughter is currently pregnant at 43. I know it was naturally because the baby was a surprise.

[JBaxter]

41 for me.. I think Susan ( ChunkyNicksChunkyMom) was 43. Michelle Dugger is 45

[ast96]

43 years old. It was a surprise after years of infertility!

I am 37 and pregnant and I feel ancient.

[AnnieW625]

My great grandma was pregnant with her 5th child at 42 in 1929. Currently I think 43 is the oldest I know of, but honestly I am not sure it was natural, I never asked as it is none of my business IMHO.

I have read studies that show if you start in your 20s you have a greater chance of getting pregnant in your 40s. Kelly Preston would've been in her late 20s when Jett was born so it could make sense in their case. I am happy for them as every baby is a blessing and if you haven't gone through menopause and are in your 40s (50s would be pushing it IMHO) and are up for then go for it:).

[scriptkitten]

For a first time pregnancy it's rare to get pregnant naturally past 41

I used an egg donor and IVF to get pregnant at age 30.... Thus I've spoken with lots of IVF drs and lots of egg donor recipients. They all maintain it's rare to pregnant past 41 or so if you've never pregnant before. If you have other kids you can tend to eek out a few more years of fertility.

Id bet the farm Kelly used an egg donor.

[crayonblue]

I think my grandmother was 46 when she had 10th? The baby was either stillborn or died soon after birth.

[citymama]

A friend whose age I have never ascertained was 43 or 44 when she gave birth to her second, who was born a week before my DD2. Totally healthy. She refers to herself as a geriatric mom. ;)

[JoyNChrist]

DH's aunt at 44. Definitely natural as it was a huge surprise.

ETA - It was her 4th pregnancy, if that matters. Everything went fine and she has a healthy 5yo girl now.

[essnce629]

My grandma got pregnant with her last child (#7) when she was 42.

[liamsmom]

My great-grandmother was pregnant with twins at the age of 42. It was her fifth pregnancy (although she may have had miscarriages, I don't know). My mother had a surprise pregnancy at 40 (her fifth). Now that I'm actually looking at this in writing, I can foresee myself using birth control until I'm 72.

[justlearning]

My friend said that her births were natural and she had one at 41 and one at 43. (Those were her first pregnancies--she had recently gotten married.) My other friend's pregnant right now (natural) and she's 41. That's her 3rd pregnancy.

[abh5e8]

43...it was her 8th baby. perfectly healthy mama and baby.

[Globetrotter]

One of my BFF had a healthy baby at 44.

I was really nervous for her, but the baby is a blessing to them (her second). They are chronic procrastinators, even in this!

[ezcc]

A good friend just had a baby at 42 (surprise). I have had other friends have babies in their early 40s but can't remember exact ages- nor do I know if it was totally unassisted. I'm expecting our 3rd at 39, but I got pregnant when I was still 38.

[candaceb]

A family friend got pregnant for the first time naturally at 44 and delivered a healthy baby boy last spring. I don't think she realizes exactly how fortunate she was to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

[Multimama]

I know someone who got pregnant naturally and had her first baby at age 45. (I'm not sure if she was 44 or 45 when she got pregnant.) The pregnancy was complicated and quite dangerous both for her and her baby, and involved some surgeries for the baby after birth, but they are both doing great now. :)

[Melaine]

None of my close friends are in that age bracket and I just don't talk to people about fertility details if they aren't (close friends) so I have no idea....

[ourbabygirl]

My maternal grandma was 40 when she had my mom in 1949, so I'm assuming no fertility treatments of any sort ;), though that was her 3rd child.

My aunt had a surprise pregnancy at age 43, I think (baby would've been their 4th child), but sadly she had a miscarriage. She knew the odds were against her, though, with her age.

[cmo]

I know of 2! One, just had her much-wanted 3rd child this week at age 45; a girl after 2 boys. Another, two years or so ago, had a Whoopsie, How Did THAT Happen?! surprise 3rd child at age 46.

[JElaineB]

I know a co-worker who was 45, she had tried for 10 years previously and doctors said she would never get pregnant. So by the time she was 45 she wasn't using any birth control, apparently. She had some health issues prior to the pregnancy which were a concern, but she and the baby were fine.

[mommytoC]

My grandmother had her first child at 24, and her 7th at 45. Only one miscarriage, between #1 and #2. #6 (at 39), and #7 were both unplanned, but uncomplicated. (She's a pretty healthy lady, though, even at 98!)

[karstmama]

my sil's mama was 43 with her, 43 years ago...

[momof2girls]

I think my neighbor was 41.

[Roleysmom]

My colleague at 43. Me and my mom at 42. I bet my grandmother was in her early 40s when she had her 10th as well.

[niccig]

My friend was 42, 43 when baby was born. They put off trying for #3 for a couple of years as she tried to be an egg donor for her sister, who is over 45. She didn't respond to the medication to produce more eggs, so they also thought she wouldn't be able to have #3. Her sister got another egg donor, and 6 months last my friend was pregnant with #3.

[babystuffbuff]

My grandmother had a surprise when her oldest child (my mom) was 19. My mom had a surprise when her oldest child (me) was 19. I don't know how old my grandma was, but my mom was 43, almost 44. It's not a family tradition I'm interested in continuing. :)

[buddyleebaby]

My Aunt became pregnant with my cousin at age 47, without fertility treatments. (They were not readily available at that time, and Doctors had told her she was too old.) He was perfectly healthy.

[maestramommy]

One of my friends is in her late 40s, and has a 2yo. This baby was a huge surprise because she conceived her 3 older kids with a lot of help. They certainly didn't think they needed to use BC!

[WitMom]

My mom had a surprise pregnancy when I was in 8th grade. That would have made her 47 or 48 years old. She ended up miscarrying.

[kmkaull]

I discovered yesterday that John Travola and Kelly Preston had another baby recently, with Kelly Preston aged 47 at the time of birth. My googling mostly turned up entertainment/gossip websites speculating that she must have used an egg donor and IVF, which seems like a likely scenario. Those websites often quoted some fertility doctors who said the chances of a woman getting pregnant past 45 (sometimes even 43) were very, very, very small. I was suprised at how categorical the doctors were, as though there was no chance, but neither do I fully trust the tone of those websites.
.

We're in the middle of an IVF cycle (I'm 35) and upon researching and going through the process, I would absolutely assume she used an egg donor. Fertility drops so quickly past 35.

My cousin's wife recently had a full term, perfect pregnancy at 43. Totally natural. Certainly it can happen, but in Hollywood, I am betting most women much beyond early 40's are using donor eggs.

[Kindra178]

My great grandmother had my grandma at 43 or 44. It was her 15th child, of which very 6 or so survived past infancy. My sister delivered her fourth a couple months before her 43rd birthday. My mom had me at 40, her sixth.

[Puddy73]

My Mom had her fifth at 43 and my grandmother had her tenth at 44, both conceived naturally and very healthy. I'm VERY careful with birth control!

[kellij]

My DH's mom was 40. I'm 37 and I got pregnant this time because I missed 5 birth control pills at the end of my pack. Started a new pack and I guess it didn't take. Apparently my fertility is going pretty strong! DH had a vasectomy Friday.

[melrose7]

The family I use to nanny for started having kids when she was 39 and then had her second at 41. I know she had "a lot" of miscarriages before her first but don't know how many that is. But both kids were healthy. She always told me to have kids earlier than they did. I did and have no plans to have any when i am near my 40s.

[kijip]

My grandmother was in her 40s when my youngest uncle was born.

I met a woman who used IVF but her own eggs and successfully had a baby at 48. We were pregnant at the same time when I was pregnant with T and she was the same age as my mom.

I know another mom who convinced spontaneously against the odds (she was battling infertility and recovering from a botch uterine surgery) who was 44!

As I understand it, women who have already had children are more fertile in their 40s than women who are first time moms.

[chozen]

me at age 44, i gave birth to a very healthy full term dd, totally natural. there is only one person i give all the glory to for her and that is God!

[Beth24]

Hi! I had my 4th baby at age 45...took me a year to get pregnant but it happened naturally. We like to think he was my last good egg.

[amldaley]

I am 37 and pregnant and I feel ancient.

lol...you and me both...

[waitingforgrace]

My MIL had her fifth at 42. It was a surprise for them but she and the baby were both healthy throughout the pregnancy.

[HannaAddict]

43, my husband's partner's wife. No IVF but she did have a miscarriage before and was very stressed about the pregnancy. She has a beautiful baby boy who is almost a year. She had her first at 41, also with no IVF.

[Jai]

My mom delivered my brother at 41. She had a natural childbirth and he weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces! That was in 1990. My first cousin was 43 when she conceived and bore a healthy baby girl in 2008.

[roseyloxs]

I have read studies that show if you start in your 20s you have a greater chance of getting pregnant in your 40s. Kelly Preston would've been in her late 20s when Jett was born so it could make sense in their case. I am happy for them as every baby is a blessing and if you haven't gone through menopause and are in your 40s (50s would be pushing it IMHO) and are up for then go for it:).

That's an interesting idea. If its true that you are born with all the eggs that you will ever have then I suppose you are storing 9 months worth of eggs during pregnancy and even more if you breastfeed. So I suppose prolonged fertility would make sense. I am no expert and have done no research though so please don't take this for truth.

[Melbel]

Hi! I had my 4th baby at age 45...took me a year to get pregnant but it happened naturally. We like to think he was my last good egg.

I love this.

We had a neighbor who conceived twins naturally at age 43 (children 5 and 6 for them). No complications for mom or babies.

I had just turned 40 when DD2 was born. While we had hoped to be done having kids by age 35, life (multiple back surgeries) got in the way. We had a surprise pregnancy that ended in miscarriage which showed us that we really did want a third. Our pregnancy with DD2 (6 months post miscarriage) was planned and she has been such an amazing addition to our family. We call her our bonus baby. :)

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i don't know the exact age, but when we were seniors in high school my friends's mom had a "surprise" baby. i know her mom was not a teen/young mom when she had her first child (my friend) but say she had my friend when she was 22 (she was likely older), then she was at least 40 when she had this baby.

can I just say kudos to all the mamas who had babies past 40. :applause: I am 33 and i already feel like i am falling apart!!!!

[cckwmh]

My Grandmother delivered healthy twins (one being my mom) at 45 in 1940. It was her 5th and 6th children. Her other 4 were in there twenties and late teens.

[jd11365]

43 years old. It was a surprise after years of infertility!

I am 37 and pregnant and I feel ancient.

Congratulations, Allison!

[JBaxter]

I did want to add my pregnancy at 41 was my easiest of all 4.

[dec756]

i think between 41-43 (my neighbor)

[alexsmommy]

Pregnant? 44

Pregnant and carried to term? 43

Where I anecdotally seem to see the drop-off (I'm a psychologist and one of my specialties is infertility and perinatal issues) 42 - and as some pp's have said the drop off seems a little earlier for women who have never succesfully carried to term prior to that.

[wimama]

Me - I was 38 when I got pregnant and 39 when I delivered DD. Her pregnancy was completely natural. I had decided with DH to stop TTC and and let what ever would happen, happen. And, it happened that very month. LOL. This followed a miscarriage the previous year. Her pregnany was not uneventful, we had a scare with the 1st trimester screen and I had gestational diabetes, but DD is healthy as can be.

There are several other families at DS's Catholic school that must have had their last babies at around 40-42. But, personally the oldest we know of is our friends who had a baby when she was around 44 or so, but they suffered years of infertility and they did use a egg donor. But, the have a healthy set of twins now!

[Motley16]

I wasn't around at the time but my grandmother was pregnant at 48 and believe she was 49 when my aunt was born. My dad and other aunt were teenagers so this was highly unexpected. This was in the mid-60's so they weren't even sure of the due date since they thought my grandmother was going through menopause.

[vonfirmath]

My husband has a cousin who is 19 years old -- which makes her mom 47 when she was born. COMPLETE surprise baby. She is their only kid and they thought they couldn't have kids and had given up trying. So no IVF or anything else involved.

[larig]

In my genealogical research I have found that my great great great grandmother (b. 1843) had her last child in 1889 (she had 11 kids, 10 of whom survived to 1900--I know this because in the census that year she had to answer the question about how many kids she had and how many survived).

Now, there is always the chance that the child is not really hers, but was a daughter's or something, but I've not verified it either way.

DH and I had no trouble conceiving when I was 38.

[Beth24]

can I just say kudos to all the mamas who had babies past 40. :applause: I am 33 and i already feel like i am falling apart!!!!

I have to say, it is very different having a baby at 32 (my first) than 45! I cannot believe how tired I feel. But it's definitely worth it. :)

[chlobo]

My friend just had a very healthy baby boy at 44, almost 45.

[Tondi G]

perfect timing for this topic of discussion. My best friend's father is dating a 43 year old woman.... he is 82. recently she announced that she is pregnant. The first thing out of my DH's mouth when he heard she was pregnant was "I sure hope he's getting a paternity test"! If she is indeed pregnant with his baby I think it's absolutely miraculous. She hasn't been pregnant before and is 43 years old... and he is over eighty. WOW

[crayonblue]

perfect timing for this topic of discussion. My best friend's father is dating a 43 year old woman.... He is 82. Recently she announced that she is pregnant. The first thing out of my dh's mouth when he heard she was pregnant was "i sure hope he's getting a paternity test"! If she is indeed pregnant with his baby i think it's absolutely miraculous. She hasn't been pregnant before and is 43 years old... And he is over eighty. Wow

wow!!!!!!!!!!!

[happymom]

perfect timing for this topic of discussion. My best friend's father is dating a 43 year old woman.... he is 82. recently she announced that she is pregnant. The first thing out of my DH's mouth when he heard she was pregnant was "I sure hope he's getting a paternity test"! If she is indeed pregnant with his baby I think it's absolutely miraculous. She hasn't been pregnant before and is 43 years old... and he is over eighty. WOW

Wow, that's incredible! My friend's mother got pregnant with her 7th at 46 (may have even been 48, I'm not sure). It was a complete surprise to say the least! The previous child was 9 at the time.

My MIL had her last child at 42. She was actually 9 months pregnant with him when she walked her 2nd to oldest down the aisle. (DH is one of 8)

[vonfirmath]

perfect timing for this topic of discussion. My best friend's father is dating a 43 year old woman.... he is 82. recently she announced that she is pregnant. The first thing out of my DH's mouth when he heard she was pregnant was "I sure hope he's getting a paternity test"! If she is indeed pregnant with his baby I think it's absolutely miraculous. She hasn't been pregnant before and is 43 years old... and he is over eighty. WOW

Honestly -- guys don't get too old to father kids. So his age is not an impediment to having kids.

[ourbabygirl]

^ But I thought that older fathers have higher rates of kids with genetic defects or other problems?

[lalasmama]

^ But I thought that older fathers have higher rates of kids with genetic defects or other problems?

I *think* they are just now starting to study the fathers age vs genetic/other issues. The difference between women and men is that we are born with all our eggs, so by our 40s, our eggs are 40 too. But men just keep making new semen on a daily basis, so their sperm is always "fresh" more or less. It seems its been pretty recent though that they started looking into the father's age as part of the equation when looking at special needs situations.

(I gotta say, though, :jammin: to an 80-something-year-old man for still gettin' it on! I hope my partner's still willing and able at that age! LOL)

[kijip]

perfect timing for this topic of discussion. My best friend's father is dating a 43 year old woman.... he is 82. recently she announced that she is pregnant. The first thing out of my DH's mouth when he heard she was pregnant was "I sure hope he's getting a paternity test"! If she is indeed pregnant with his baby I think it's absolutely miraculous. She hasn't been pregnant before and is 43 years old... and he is over eighty. WOW

Every time I read about geriatric fathers like that, I feel a little sad for the kids because he will likely not be around for his kid after the first few years. I mean if a man is in his late 50s or 60s he has a quite decent chance of being there when the child reaches young adult if he is in good health. But for men in their 80s, he could quite easily be dead before kindergarten. He has to live to 100 to see the child graduate from high school.