46-Year-Old Woman Wonders If She’s Too Old to Be a Mom

A 46-year-old woman who had “accepted” that she would never be a mom is now wondering if she should go for it — and people on the Internet have mixed opinions.

The woman detailed her experience on the “Am I Being Unreasonable?” forum on the U.K.-based site Mumsnet, a place where women can go to seek input and advice from other women. 

In her post, titled, “Is 46 too old for a baby?” the woman said she had always wanted to be a mother, but she figured “that ship had sailed” as she had “never met the right person.”

The woman went on to explain that she ended up “totally unexpectedly” meeting her “absolute soulmate” — who is a “couple of years younger” than her. They recently discussed potentially having children, but she “mostly brushed it off” due to her age.

Now, however, the original poster (OP) revealed she is potentially starting to consider it.

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“We are financially stable, have good jobs, homes etc. I guess that comes with being older,” she said, before asking, “But is it too risky? Is it unkind [to] the child? Is society just too prejudiced?”

“I am very torn,” she admitted at the end of her post.

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The OP’s comments sparked much debate among her fellow community members. Some said they thought she should absolutely try to fulfill her dream of becoming a mom.

“I would go for it. I had my first at 44 and it’s wonderful,” one person said before adding, “I’d also say that longevity isn’t promised to any of us, and people lose parents at very early ages. So go for it!! Good luck.”

“I’ve probably got a skewed view of it as [my husband] and I had babies at a ‘sensible age’ and then [my husband] died when he was 47. A lot of people live to their 80s, so you may have a lot longer with your kids than my kids had with their dad!” said someone else.

Others, however, said they thought the OP should seriously consider the practical realities of trying for a baby and potentially parenting at a later stage of life.

“I’d say try, but do prepare yourself for it not to work. I got pregnant at 46 naturally, but lost the baby at nine weeks, and the sheer hormonal kerfuffle sent me into premenopause and caused me a few problems,” one person said.

“I had [my son] at 38, and it’s a push to be as active as I’d like nine years on. If you’re exceptionally fit and active, then maybe, but otherwise I don’t think it’s wise,” said someone else.