# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/21 "2013-09-04T00:46:32Z")
Still on the pill at age 46. Never had kids, never wanted any, never even tried to get sterilized to avoid the inevitable “but you might change your mind!” discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/22 "2013-09-04T00:53:42Z")
Tubal ligation after my second child at age 28. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/23 "2013-09-04T00:58:45Z")
Same system I’ve used for the last 25 years - a sterile spouse. It’s effective, but not always available to a particular individual. ---
**Author:** ![Girlundone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Girlundone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girlundone)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/24 "2013-09-04T01:02:06Z")
I have a copper IUD. It’s good for 10 years. I’ve had it for 7 and have never had any problems at all. I thought it would be impossible for me to get pregnant (I only have one tube and I conceived my children through IVF/GIFT). Hmmmm, birth control at 40, given my history… is this really necessary?? My doctor just looked at me and said “stranger things have happened”. I opted for the IUD. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/25 "2013-09-04T01:02:20Z")
42 here. I have an IUD (Paragard–the one with no hormones) I spoke to my doc about a tubal ligation, and she suggested I get an IUD instead and avoid the surgery. She said that if I happened to have other surgery in the area in the ensuing decade, I could just get snipped at the same time. I wasn’t committed to the idea of the tubal ligation so I took her suggestion. I’m very happy with the IUD. No worries, no surgery, and it can be yoinked at any time if need be. I’d still go ahead with the tubal ligation if I had a good opportunity though. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/26 "2013-09-04T01:52:46Z")
Mirena, an IUD with hormones. It had the awesomest side effects EVAR of completely eliminating my migraines **and** also shutting off my period (with an occasional day of spotting every 4-6 months) as well. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/27 "2013-09-04T09:53:36Z")
my auntie was born 6 weeks before my brother was. She was an “oops I thought I was in menopause” baby. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/28 "2013-09-04T10:01:41Z")
None - still hoping for a miracle, but resigned to non-parenthood. (42) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/29 "2013-09-04T11:29:27Z")
My wife had a ligation at 35 after our third child was born. I had a cousin who was born her mother was 48. In 1942 or '43, well before there were any fertility treatments. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/30 "2013-09-04T13:08:57Z")
There’s some evidence that fertility actually has a resurgence and new peak during perimenopause - and to make matters worse, twinning (both identical and fraternal) seems to be more common in older moms. Not enough so that you should delay fertility counseling if you want to become pregnant, but enough to radically complicate many life plans among couples who didn’t want to become pregnant. So definitely don’t depend on hope! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/31 "2013-09-04T13:22:24Z")
I don’t want a hysterectomy, whoever said that was the best. Essure was an IUD, too, so really nothing is affected, my fallopian tubes are just blocked. But at 46 you probably can get by with a more short term solution. I was looking at app 20 more years of pointless fertility. Do not want. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/32 "2013-09-04T13:39:46Z")
Nothing since I turned 33 and realized if I wanted another (I have boy and girl twins) I better get on it. 17 years later I sometime think if I don’t want another, maybe I should get on preventing that. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/33 "2013-09-04T14:50:01Z")
Mirena IUD. I’m on my second one and this one will be good until I’m 48, at which time I don’t plan to use anything unless I happen to be in a relationship. I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen again, so I think further birth control after 48 will be a pointless waste of money. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/34 "2013-09-04T15:32:56Z")
> [@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. I have a friend, now in her fifties, whose mother was 48 when she was born. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/35 "2013-09-04T15:41:55Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Mirena, an IUD with hormones. It had the awesomest side effects EVAR of completely eliminating my migraines **and** also shutting off my period (with an occasional day of spotting every 4-6 months) as well. Loved my Mirena. Just had it pulled out to work on kidlet #2. The migraines are back with a vengence. It is a good motivator to have daily sex. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/36 "2013-09-04T15:54:35Z")
> [@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. Not true; it’s very uncommon, but not impossible. Actress Adrienne Barbeau naturally conceived identical twins at age 51. Totally unplanned pregnancy, but by all accounts, she was very happy about it and she and the babies were healthy. And there was that much-publicized woman who had triplets at age IIRC 54 - again, spontaneously conceived. They had 8 or 9 other children, most of them already grown. :eek: And after his death, Dylan Thomas’ wife had a baby with her second husband when she was about 50 years old. A gynecologist can draw hormone levels and determine whether a woman is likely to still be fertile. And my method? Involuntary celibacy. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/37 "2013-09-04T18:33:09Z")
My wife’s method is my vasectomy. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/38 "2013-09-04T18:39:22Z")
My husband had a vasectomy while I was still on the pill. Since then, I’ve had to go off the pill, so the vasectomy decision has really benefited both of us. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/39 "2013-09-04T21:12:11Z")
A friend of ours had a vasectomy years ago. Meet “Bobby,” their youngest son, born some time after that. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920/40 "2013-09-04T21:21:01Z")
Asexuality is really great birth control. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-there-are-older-people-here-more-specifically-women/667920.md?page=3)