50-year-old mom plans to have another baby against her 17 and 25-year-old daughters' wishes: 'They said that if I give birth, they will never consider this child their brother or sister.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jun 5, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

Are they being unfair to their mother?

Doctors frequently call expecting mothers in their mid to late 30s "geriatric," but as far as moms can go, they are not geriatric at all. Some women get pregnant in their late 40s and early 50s, and that's a much riskier time in your life to have a brand new baby, both to your health and your life. It's hard enough to adjust to having a new baby when you're a 30-year-old mom. It's so much harder when you're much more tired and sore than you were when you had your first kid.

Adding a new baby to the family dynamic can be very hard on the existing children. This is true whether the kids are 2 or 22, but the latter is a unique challenge. Adult children can be much more immature about their parents having a new baby than literal toddlers are. They feel like they're being replaced because they no longer need their parents for support anymore. They might be confused about why their middle-aged mother wants to "start over" and have a baby again, even though all of her babies are out of the house. At the end of the day, it's not the adult children's decision whether it's a good idea for their mother to have another baby. 

The mom in this story is struggling with the lack of support she's getting from her adult children about her geriatric pregnancy. They don't like that she's having a baby at her advanced age, nor do they like the man she's having it with. The mom is starting to wonder whether she's the villain for going through with it.

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  • A middle-aged woman who thought she was done having children 17 years ago, but who recently discovered she is pregnant with her 3rd child at age 50.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A model portraying a middle-aged woman who thought she was done having children 17 years ago, but who recently discovered she is pregnant with her 3rd child at age 50. 

  • Am I the bad guy for deciding to have a baby even though my daughters begged me not to?

    I am 50 years old, divorced, and I have two daughters. The older one is 25, she already lives on her own, and the younger one is 17, and she still lives with me. I raised my
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • children practically by myself and always provided them with a comfortable life. A few months ago, I found out I was pregnant.
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • To say I was shocked is an understatement. I am 50, unmarried, and pregnancy was the last thing I could expect. After a lot of thinking, consulting with doctors,
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • and talking with the child's father, I decided that I want to keep this pregnancy. The problem is that both of my daughters are categorically against it.
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • They said that giving birth at my age is shameful, and people will judge me for being an unmarried woman expecting a child at 50. My older daughter even stated that this
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • would be a disgrace to our family, and the younger one constantly repeats that I am ruining everyone's lives. Part of their worries is related to finances. I have
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  • always paid for practically everything. I explained that I will continue to support them, but some things might change; for example, I suggested to my younger daughter to
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  • find a part-time job for the summer if she wants to have her own money instead of completely relying on me. She really didn't like this.
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • Cheezburger Image 10636387328
    via isi martínez

    A representation of teenagers working a summer job as lifeguards in order to pay for their extra expenses without relying solely on their parents.

  • Also, my daughters do not approve of the future child's father because he is a few years younger than me. He supports me, participates in everything related to the pregnancy,
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • and wants this child just as much as I do. But my daughters insist that this whole situation looks ridiculous. The most painful part for me was when they said
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • that if I give birth, they will never consider this child their brother or sister. They stated that they do not want to have any relationship with it and that I am allegedly
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • choosing a new family over them. I understand that this pregnancy affects them to some extent. I also realize that having a child at my
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • age is not a completely normal situation. But in the end, it is my child. I don't feel that I should give up a wanted pregnancy just because my adult children do not
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  • approve, but my daughters are very angry, they say I am acting selfishly, and I am worried about their emotional state.
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  • AITJ for deciding to have a baby despite my daughters asking me not to?
    via u/Mia_Smitha
  • A baby, who was rejected by his siblings before he was even born.
    via Christian Bowen

    A baby model who was rejected by his siblings before he was even born.

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baby teenagers siblings middle aged parenting pregnant sister daughter mom adult children
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