G'day Smiley,
That's such a personal question that I can't really answer. It's not a decision anyone else can really help you with I don't think. There are so many factors to weigh into the balance of whether you should or not. I had both my children after I was 35 and they were 21 and 1/2 months apart. I was pretty fit at the time back then though. In fact some really serious back problems that I have before children actually got much better during my first pregnancy and continued to stay better ever since. Maybe that was because I no longer had the time or energy to landscape the yard and brick out the patio and things like that. lol

It didn't stop me from doing everything that all the mums who were 20 or 25 were doing. My children did all the same things as all other children... playgroups, sports, dance, music all the extra things. My son was walking by the time he was 9 months old so it didn't stop from then on 'cause I was pregant with my daughter by the time he was 12 months old. I then spent a couple of years chasing my son to save him from destruction while carrying my daughter on my hip.

So, yes, becoming a parent is a full time and life long decision for both parents and it is tiring, not just when they're babies or toddlers, but tiring in other ways when they are teenagers and still when they're adults. A mum is always a mum. It sounds as if you have some health issues with your fatigue and CFS and I hope you're now feeling better than you were. I'm sorry you're experiencing all of that. Don't feel pressure by the fact you're 40 years old. Some people chose not to ever have children and spend their lives in helping other children who are less fortunate and don't have a home or do other things. It's not an essential part of being a woman to have a baby. I nearly didn't have children but one day mother nature smiled on me and said "Lara, it's time", so I seriously considered what I was doing and and so it began.

If I were you, I'd have a really long talk with your GP about all this and how your health issues would impact having a pregnancy. I also know that women can have healthy pregnancies later in their 40's, but personally I wouldn't leave it too late unless I had lots of money to hire nannies (and I wouldn't have wanted that at all) or had lots of relatives to be around as part of a supportive extended family unit. I didn't have either. lol.

All the best with your health and your decisions. They're very serious issues I know and I hope you find some guidance to help you make what is best for your future children if you decide to do that as well as for yourself.