# Since there are older people here (more specifically women)... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 3, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920 "2013-09-03T20:47:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/1 "2013-09-03T20:47:00Z")
I’m curious what age 40+ women here use as birth control. I’m 46 in 2 weeks and I’m really hoping that it’s true that at my age your eggs are pretty much dried up. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/2 "2013-09-03T20:49:05Z")
I wouldn’t bet on it. Is that really something you want to gamble with? I’'m 37 and went for the Essure treatment and got permanently sterilized with no regrets. There’s also Mirena, which I think is five years. Ask your gynecologist which is right for you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/3 "2013-09-03T20:53:29Z")
At 46, conception without artificial assistance is effectively impossible, it’s never happened to anyone. Even with medical assistance, it’s quite rare for a woman of that age to get pregnant. Was what I learned when I looked into it some years ago. I’m not a doctor, and not female. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/4 "2013-09-03T20:54:40Z")
Moved MPSIMS to IMHO, home of threads with medical advice. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/5 "2013-09-03T21:04:07Z")
I conceived naturally at age 45 and 7 months and now have a happy and healthy five month old. I didn’t think I could conceive at that age. I am the .000000001 ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/6 "2013-09-03T21:21:06Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > At 46, conception without artificial assistance is effectively impossible, it’s never happened to anyone. Wut? [It](http://voices.yahoo.com/incredible-conception-54-year-old-italian-hospital-6019684.html) [happens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy_over_age_50#Cases_of_pregnancy_over_50) [plenty](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-476452/The-British-woman-worlds-oldest-natural-mother-59.html). Not quite the same as _never_ to _anyone_. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/7 "2013-09-03T21:23:12Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > At 46, conception without artificial assistance is effectively impossible, it’s never happened to anyone. > Even with medical assistance, it’s quite rare for a woman of that age to get pregnant. > Was what I learned when I looked into it some years ago. I’m not a doctor, and not female. Unless you count PIV intercourse as artificial assistance, you’re pretty wrong. Natural conception at age 46 isn’t as easy as as age 26, but not terrifically uncommon either. For the record, I went with guilting the hubby into a vasectomy. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/8 "2013-09-03T21:46:44Z")
Tubal ligation was my choice. Additional data point: My paternal grandmother didn’t even marry until she was 40, and she proceeded to give birth to three children. I am quite sure she was at least 45 or 46 when her last was conceived. This was in the days before artificial assistance of any kind existed. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/9 "2013-09-03T22:06:49Z")
I had my tubes tied at age 35. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/10 "2013-09-03T22:10:52Z")
Age 44 here. Tubal ligation at 38. It makes sex so much more fun not to suppress the natural hormones of ovulation but still know you’re not going to get pregnant while enjoying them. worrying about getting pregnant makes sex way way less fun. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/11 "2013-09-03T22:12:57Z")
I almost wonder if anewleaf was being facetious, but I’ll take that!! P.S. My mother conceived me at 44. After 4 previous unsuccessful pregnancies. I don’t think that has any bearing on what will happen to me, but I thought I’d share. What I worry about, or have in the past couple years, was that both my daughter and I would get pregnant at the same time. Hey, that sounds like an interesting reality show, or is it one already? ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/12 "2013-09-03T22:45:24Z")
Husband graciously agreed to have a vasectomy. Poor guy; as it turned out, I had to have a hysterectomy and oophorectomy at 37, so it was all for almost naught. He’s never complained about that, which is one reason we’ve been married for 20 years :D. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/13 "2013-09-03T22:57:03Z")
I’m 44 yo. I had my tubes tied at 34. Do not believe those who are saying conception is impossible or unlikely at age 45+. I have a number of friends who conceived in their mid-40s both on purpose naturally and accidentally. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/14 "2013-09-03T22:57:36Z")
> [@want2befree](#): > > What I worry about, or have in the past couple years, was that both my daughter and I would get pregnant at the same time. Hey, that sounds like an interesting reality show, or is it one already? [My Teen Is Pregant and So Am I](http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/my-teen-is-pregnant) ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/15 "2013-09-03T23:10:09Z")
After some pretty intense conversations with my doctor I had a tubal when I was 23. I had two children at the time and both were conceived while on some form (or two!) of birth control. Until I was 41 and had a hysterectomy I still had nightmares about finding out I was pregnant again. I love my kids but two was definitely my limit. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/16 "2013-09-03T23:34:21Z")
> [@want2befree](#): > > What I worry about, or have in the past couple years, was that both my daughter and I would get pregnant at the same time. Hey, that sounds like an interesting reality show, or is it one already? That sounds like some Mormon families I know! They are even targeting Mormon families for the show. Oy Vey:smack: > **[Casting Call for “Mothers and Daughters Expecting” – Mormon Social Science...](https://www.mormonsocialscience.org/2012/01/27/casting-call-for-mothers-and-daughters-expecting/)** ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/17 "2013-09-03T23:56:46Z")
Hysterectomy at about 47. And is just to muddy the waters, I know one woman who had a baby a year after her tubal ligation and two who had a baby after their husband’s operation. I know one of them insisted on a DNA test, to be sure their husband didn’t have that to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/18 "2013-09-03T23:57:53Z")
Tubal ligations are the second best method. Hysterectomies are the best. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/19 "2013-09-04T00:23:57Z")
Abstinence. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/20 "2013-09-04T00:37:34Z")
Life finds a way. If you don’t want an “oopsie” late life baby, I’d suggest Essure or a tubal ligation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920.md?page=2)