Genealogy Chat

Medical advice I got.

In your 40s clear after 2 years from last period. In 50s 18 months from last period.

Late menopause is not that unusual. My father's side of our family have this. Some of my cousins, my sister and myself stopped our periods between ages 52 and 54, which meant we were not clear until 54 - 56. We did however find that we had less severe symptoms and they lasted a shorter time than relatives and friends who's started menopause in their 40s.

There are 5 of us who could have had children in our 50s, and 1 of my aunts was very late 40s when she had her 2nd child. Her daughter was almost at work when her brother was born, early 1933 and late 1947.

Pat

As Kevin says, generations can span the centuries.


OH has a family with 20 children, his gt grandfather being one of them

The couple married in 1835.

First child born 5 months later

20th child born in 1860, died 1900

ALL survived to adulthood ......... although there is a suggestion that I cannot verify that a child was born and lost between number 19 and number 20.


Father of the family died January 1869, age 62, and mother died about 3 weeks later, age 54, of "chronic disease of the heart".

So she was approximately 45/6 when her last child was born

The 19th child was born in 1858, died in 1938 ........... and was well-known to my father-in-law and his wife!

She actually died only 1 month before OH was born


The strangest thing of all is that I did not know of this woman ........... but ended up giving our daughter the same name!

It was a name that I had seen in a book way before we married (or even dated), and decided that I liked it so much that I would give to a daughter, if I ever had one.

It was not until daughter was born that f-i-l said "That's Aunt xxxxxx name ....... but you have spelled it wrongly"

................ a small matter of "t" vs "tt" at the end of the name.

Les than 2 years later, we were back in the UK, and f-i-l produced a handwritten (copper-plate) framed listing of that family, with all the birth dates one. It now hangs on the hall wall here.



sylvia

My great great grandmother was born in 1846 had her first (surviving) child in 1868 and her eleventh and last in 1896. She died in 1919 (flu or just plain knackered ?!?!?) Her husband lived till 1932.

And that helps show how generations can span the centuries The last child was born 1896, her father was born 1845 and her grandfather was born in 1787. She passed away in 1960, 173 years after her grandfather's birth.

My maternal Grand Mother had thirteen children.
Seven sons and six daughters.
My Mother was the youngest.
Great Grand Mother had Mother at age 46.
GGM died aged 60 of bowel cancer.

my mum was 42 when our youngest sibling was born . She thought she was pregnant some 3 months earlier than she actually fell although turned out late she had started the change then!!

Her due dates kept changing cos the baby seemed rather small , the first date was in June but this was amended because of the babies development then it went to August . I broke up for summer holidays end July and told everyone that when we came back for the Autumn term there would be another sibling . Well went back early Sept and the baby still hadn't arrived , she made her appearance on the 14th Sept .

She was born at home , the youngest of 8 !

PP

that is also what I have been told ..... and also read about in several places, including when I was doing a zoology degree.


I have also seen quite a lot of cases on censuses and other records where children were born to mothers over the age of 45.

change babies or menopause babies are not that uncommon.

But another reason for some late births is that a mother has had a family and those children are now a bit older and oops she is suddenly pregnant and so that child is not brought up alone she will have another so that child is not alone. I have come across this a couple of times and worked with someone whose mother did exactly that in the 60's.

Many women think they have finished the menopause once their periods have either become very erratic and stopped, but often these menopause babies are born around a year or so after mother thinks its safe. That odd egg lying in wait to be fertilised, it a little b*gg*r. I do believe that women are advised that it can take several years after last period before they can have unprotected sex and be fairly confident they will not get pregnant.

My grandmother lived to be 84 and was aged 50 when she had my mother, the last of 10, in 1927. When she was born mum's eldest brother was 28.

My grandmother had her 6th and last child when she was in her late 40s in 1927. My aunt (the child in question), who is now 84, recently described herself as a "change baby". I hadn't heard the expression before - fairly self-explanatory, but I suppose they must have thought they were fairly safe by that time!

Interesting comments pelo and Inspector Green Pen.

I guess there are various factors to consider but 47 doesn't sound so old now!

In my personal experience of researching, births after the age of 40 or just after were rare, although not unknown, as examples have shown. I have found a small handful in their early 40's but believe 44 was the oldest I have come across.

A more likely explanation would be that the child was born to an unmarried daughter but brought up by the grandparents as one of their own.

An important factor in all this is also how many children the mother had & how many survived to at least 4 - 5 yrs old. Having just 3 - 4 children over her fertility time (plus a functioning male) would almost mean the woman was in generally better physical health therefore she would likely be fertile for longer.

My eldest forebear was 45 yrs old, married at 18 yrs old, & in her childbearing years emigrated to New Zealand with her husband, by sailing ship. They started to clear land for a farm on very isolated rugged hill country (because that is where the ship foundered) started a small sheep farm & had her last child - the 14th when 44. All survived & worked the farm learning the trsde skills from their father who was a shepherd. Mother taught not only the housekeeping skills, fed & housed extra labourers & bushmen who came looking for work, & was the schoolteacher for all the children but became the wisdom & direction for numerous families who later came to live in this wild area. She certainly has my admiration particularly after visiting the area which is still very isolated but great farming country

pelo

my dads mum was the eldest of 10 children,my dad was her 3rd child,dads grandmothers last child dads uncle norman was only a couple of yrs older than my dad. uncle normans first child is only 1yr older than me ,im my dads first child.x :-D

Suzanne

I'm really surprised to hear that women have had children naturally in their fifties.
I've never heard before of any woman giving birth after 45.

hi,
my dads grandmother was 54 when she had my dads uncle .x :-D

That's amazing - I don't think I'd have the energy!

Thanks, Kucinta

A british woman gave birth at age 59 and is believed to be the world's oldest natural mother, ie a natural pregnancy not IVF

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1560739/UK-woman-59-worlds-oldest-natural-mother.html


A more recent case was a 53 yr old who concieved naturally despite being on the pill!

http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/2012/01/grandma-whos-mum-again-at-53.html

Whilst these birth are the rare exception, it does show what can happen.
I believe twins are also more common in older mothers for some reason.

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear jax. I did mean when was it physically impossible to have more children rather than out of choice!

There was'nt an age when women stopped having children.

They stopped when they could no longer have them. So 47 could be likely just as it could be today for some women

My grandmother was eight years old when baptized and my gt. grandfather was aged 7 - several children were baptized at the same time.

My grandmother was 47 when she had her last child.