Pregnant at which age?

**Nina** · 09-17-2002, 08:28 AM

I am 22 years at the moment and I work full time as secretary. My fiance and me are going to marry next year in August and have already talked very often about getting children. Whenever I tell my friends that we have in mind to start a family in about two years they are quite estonished and say we would be too young and kids would be the end of our freedom. They say we should wait till we are 29 or 30 before we get kids.

I personally don't agree with that. I love children and always wanted to be a mom later. It's not that I finished school and become pregnant at once - I am already working for several years and I am aware what children will mean. It's such a luck to have kids.

What do you think? Is 24 to early for starting a family? When is the perfect age - in your eyes - to become pregnant for the first time? I am really interested in your opinions.

**Sara Noel** · 09-17-2002, 08:37 AM

I was 30 when I had my son. The timing was good for us at the time. In retrospect, I sometimes wish I had started sooner. I am currently 33 and pregnant with our second child.

I do feel I am much more confident and patient as an older parent than I may have been when I was younger.

I do think that younger moms "appear" to have the world ahead of them imo. Their kids are already in school full time and they are free to focus on themselves a bit more, but then again I had my opportunity to do many things before children too.

The only thing I consider is how many children I want and how old I am getting. LOL *tick tock goes the clock, if we plan any more in the future* Some may argue we have plenty of years, but goodness how old do I want to be with teenagers? LOL

Good Luck with your decision.
Sara

**mustang80** · 09-17-2002, 08:55 AM

I had my first baby at 21, the second at 24 and the last at 34. I have NO regrets having a baby so young. I'll be nice and young to enjoy my grandchildren! DD1 will graduate high school when I'm 39!

**Jenlee** · 09-17-2002, 09:01 AM

Nina, I don't think you should necessarily worry about your age as much as the amount of time you and your soon-to-be dh will have as a married couple. You need to have been married for long enough to know each other as husband and wife before you have children.

Dh and I met and married in 6 weeks. I got pg 14 months after we married, I was 25. Dd was born 23 months after we married and I was 26. I was 30 for ds#1 and 32 for ds#2.

Don't wait until you're 29 or 30 "just because". Just remember one thing, we make plans and God laughs!! You could get pg on your honeymoon or it could take 2 years - you never know.

**Mom23boys** · 09-17-2002, 09:02 AM

I had my first at 18, second at 21 and third at 24. I still went to college and now teach special ed. in the public school district, so your children should not hold you back from acquiring your goals.
I wouldn't change it either. I love them all! I feel that I will still be able to run and play with my grandchildren when they come along. I only have 4 more years and the oldest will be 18!

**mtjsmom** · 09-17-2002, 01:51 PM

ok..get this..hehehe..i am 34 and have 3 daughters born in three different decades...my oldest is 14(1988)..middle will be 8(1994)and the baby is 2(2000). So i was 19,25,33..omg does that sound funny written down..so my advice is i think energy wise its fun being a "young" mom especially now i am her mom but we connect sometimes as friends sorta we listen to same music, wear the same clothes (size and all) and i think its easy for her to talk to me..my almost 8 yr old is kinda in the middle..i had more patience with her and it was with her that i became a sahm..now the baby..good lord she is spoiled rotten!!! We have a little more money then we did with the others so she is rotten..and i am so much more patient with her..i will be the "old" mom when shes older but i figure oh well..i think emotionally, financilly..i love having the maturity of being an older mom..sorry that was kinda long..lol

**sixfreds** · 09-17-2002, 02:13 PM

I think it all depnds on you.. do you think at 24 you will be ready for the challenges of parenthood?

I had my first at 23, and I wouldn't change that my sister just had her first at age 32 and she was no where ready at 23.

Eileen

**QuilterMom** · 09-17-2002, 02:20 PM

I don't think age is a factor, I think the person's maturity level is what's important. I had my ds at 29, but then again I didn't get married until I was 26.

**cmu** · 09-17-2002, 03:45 PM

I got married at 18, had a miscarraige at 19 dd #1 at 21, dd #2 at 23, and ds at 25. I have no regrets, I can act like a silly kid with them and don't feel funny about it! My youngest will be graduating from High School when I am 44.

**mommy2three** · 09-17-2002, 03:46 PM

i had my first at 24, my second at 27, and now i'm pregnant again at 28!! i kinda wish hubby and i had taken more time for ourselves. we were only married like 2-3 months before i got pregnant with #1. on one hand i wish we would have waited a little longer, but on the other, i wouldn't change it for the world!!

good luck!

**Kitten20** · 09-18-2002, 11:00 AM

FH and I are getting married in November. I am 19 and he is 21. As much as I want kids, we are waiting 3-4 years before we start a family. IMO, it doesn't really have anything to do with age because I know I would be an awesome mom right now (hehe), FH and I just want to be financially secure and he'd like to finish school first. Also, spending those years alone together will be great, as much as we do want kids.

**captclearance** · 09-18-2002, 11:50 AM

I had my 1st (ds) at 20, 2nd (dd) at 30, LAST !! (ds) at 35

**PennyPincher** · 09-19-2002, 08:11 AM

I agree with the post on its not the age but the maturity level.
I am on the other end of the spectrum so to speak, I couldnt imagine just starting a family at almost 30 years old.
I had my first at 19, second at 20, third at 21 and fourth at 22. Then I had my tubes tied. In January we are getting it reversed in hopes of having more children.
I had all four of my kids by the age of 22, and I can tell you that my maturity level was not that of a 22 year old but more like a 62 year old

Kids are everything to me, more important than going to school( I never finished college, and was going to go back this year but decided that my kids are more important and I dont need a college degree to have a career in mommyhood, since I will always be a stay at home mom) more important than me working outside of the home etc etc. But that is just MY OPINION.
24 is not to early to start a family, There is no perfect age, its when you can handle the responsibilities, having a kid is not like having a kitten or a puppy, your whole life changes.
Good luck to you