Being in my late 30s now and single, the reality of having children in my 40s is becoming more and more real, so I found this article to help a helpful guide on the pros and cons of having children in my 40s and I thought to share with anyone in a similar situation. I would love to hear from anyone who has had a baby in their 40s and what their experience has been, thank you!
"This is a question I never used to consider. After a lifetime of infertility, when I decided to try one last time to conceive a child at age 44, I knew that I was young physically and emotionally. I dove forward passionately with the process and now have my precious baby girl who is almost one year old. Today, at age 46, with a year of baby experience including sleep deprivation, colic, teething, giggles, smiles and singing; I am wondering if I am too old to try again.
The question of age and pregnancy certainly stirs up lots of opinions. I was recently featured on CNN and in the Washington Times with a number of other over-40-moms and much of the on line commentary from readers was not positive. My friend, Angel LaLiberte, writes about the challenges of motherhood over 40 on her blog, Flower Power Moms. While the daily challenges certainly exist and are well documented, women also need to look at the facts to make the best decision for their situation...."
in my opinion i think it should be up to you. i hate when other people judge other people. we know what we can handle and the lord never gives us more than we can handle. if you wanna try to have another baby GO FOR IT. i applaud you for overcoming the obstacle of age and having children. i dont think that you are too old. i think you are stronger than the wimps that complain because if you can handle the labor and taking care of them then my dear you are a champion.i think it is wonderful and i am backing you 100% on your decision. best of luck to you hun and i look forward to the good news.
You are so great Ashley! Thank you so much. I don't have children yet and I've never tried, so I am not quite sure what my situation is yet in terms of being able to conceive. Though, being in my late 30s really makes me think more about it; those feelings and emotions come and go. Some days I am okay with not having children and other days I really want them. I have always dreamed of having a family, but being single in my late 30s...well, I am not sure if that'll be a reality, though I am hopeful. One of my girlfriends had her first baby at 42 in January, and my other friend had her first baby at 39. Then, I see all of these celebrities starting families in their late 30s/early 40s. That gives me hope as well. If I am meant to have children, then I believe that I will, otherwise adoption is a definite possibility for me :-)
Do you have children? I don't remember if you ever mentioned it before.
i have 2 girls. i lost a baby in between my first and last one. barely had my girls i have a hard time. i wasnt supposed to be able to have children because i had cancer when i was 14 and they were talking about taking my uterus and never having a baby. i cryed ALOT. with the good lords help he blessed me. i have had a couple of family members who had children in there late 30's. it is never to late hun. honestly i dont see anything wrong with sperm banks either if it came down to that. babies are miracles. alot of women are having children at an older age. there is nothing wrong with it and i would be so excited for you if you became pregnant i think you would be a wonderful mother!
hey girls, sorry to drop a post in the middle of your chatting but needed to say something with your indulgence please.
first, ashley i’m very deeply sorry for the loss of your baby.
puppypal…let us not forget the story about abraham and sarah. and i agree with ashley, you would make an awesome mom when your time is right. hhmm see jealousy popped in a moment…we would get less of you here…now back in right mindset, i would gladly step aside and maybe give some mommy support so you could have your dream realized.
ok ladies carry on, sorry again just felt the need to add my comments. love you both lots and lots
Oh Ashley, you brought such happy tears to my eyes this morning, thank you so much for that. Thank you for your kindest words, just hearing/reading "i would be so excited for you if you became pregnant i think you would be a wonderful mother" filled my heart and soul with so much hope and happiness.
I think that it's so amazing that you have 2 beautiful girls, what a wonderful miracle of life. I can't believe all that you have overcome, you are truly a very strong and incredible woman. How old are your 2 girls? Is having children the most fulfilling thing that you have ever done?
My brother told me that I am already a mother with the way that I treat everyone around me, which was a huge compliment to me. I hope and pray that God will bless me with children one day soon.
Thank you again for making me smile and feel so happy! You are truly the best! Hope you are happy and smiling today. Sending you big hugs.
your brother is totally right because you are so kind and loving. thank you for your kind words as well. i have a 7 year old and a 4 year old. they have made my life change for the best. they are my world. i woud go through the labor pain all over again for them. i am sure the lord will bless you one day with a child. i have complete faith that you will be on here one day and say IM PREGNANT. ill be so excited! ill be like you go girl! i will pray for you to have a baby i believe in power of prayer. my mother in law prayed every night that i would get pregnant and i did. the lord answers prayers. i have hope and faith for you my friend. :) today is going pretty well how about you?
Oh, I am just beyond thrilled for you and your two beautiful children. I can only imagine that you are such an incredible mother, so caring, loving and giving. Thank you so much for your wonderful thoughts and prayers. I know that my mom prays that I will be a mother and I know that God will bless me with children some day, whether I have them myself or adopt :-)
Thank you again so much!
I am doing well today, feeling a bit stressed, I'll let you know more of what's going on. I am running out the door now. Will definitely check back in. Sending you big hugs & lots of love.
thank u. i am bout to head out the door as well. the girls and i gotta pay bills and get out and enjoy the day. i have hope and faith for ya hun. i look forward to talking to you. im hear for ya :)
Thanks so much Ashley! I re-read some of your comments and they really made me feel so happy. I needed a little pep up today and they did just that, thank you so much! Hope you are happy and smiling today. Wishing you a beautiful day with your family :-)
aww im glad that it made you feel better. i know the other day you said you were needing to talk about something if you want you can message me if you feel like you need to talk. i hope your day is getting better.:)
Hi Ashley, thank you so much for being here for me and for offering to listen to what's going on. I go in waves of feeling overwhelmed and stressed to feeling okay about everything. Basically, I gave up my apartment to take a couple of months to house sit for a friend in another city and then will make a decision as to where to stay; new city or current one. Also, there are some professional/business decisions that I have to make that will impact my future pretty significantly. So, it's essentially everything happening at once. If I look at it as a fun adventure, then I calm down and relax about everything, but if I think about the logistics and all of the decisions that I have to make, then my stress level goes through the roof and anxiety kicks in. That's basically it in a nutshell. Thank you so much for "listening". You're the best!
How are you doing and how is your weekend progressing?
Hi Ashley! How are you doing and how was your weekend? I feel like its been ages since we've "talked" and I feel like we have to much to catch-up on. Miss you :-)
aww i miss you too. i was just thinking bout you yesterday. weekend was great. went to a luau. also went to my aunts for lunch. today has been hectic been grocery shopping and getting the kiddos and i hair cuts. it is so humid down here. it wouldnt be bad if we didnt have constant humidity. blah!
Wow, I absolutely love it! A luau, how fun and fantastic! Did you dress up for it? Did you hula dance? I would love to know. How hot is it now? I came home from 75 degree beautiful weather to cold rainy weather :-( Though, it's okay because I have so much to focus on and get through and it really helps, because I don't want to get out to play.
it was 85 and really muggy. it gets humid. it wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt always humid. then luau was alot of fun. no one wanted to do the hula dance. i didnt have a grass skirt or i woulda bugged em bout it lol.the weather has been funky down here one min its hot next its cold.
your ok kathy lol. i know what you mean bout not having that much time to get on here cuz i have been busy busy busy. between gocery shopping, hair cuts, and house work plus spending time with the kiddos. the day is gone before you know it. :)
Hi Ashley! Happy Thursday! How are you doing and feeling today? How is your day progressing? I hope all is well. Wow, 85 and humid, I have been there and done that, though for some strange reason I love humidity. Maybe it's something about my skin always glowing ;-) I lived in New York and spent quite a bit of time in Florida, so I am familiar with humidity. When I was in NY, making my way to work in 90 degree heat and humidity, it was misery. Though, when I was in a swimsuit poolside in Florida, it was very do-able.