Do you think early twenties pregnancy is the new teen pregnancy?

[Anonymous]

I saw this mentioned on another web site today (Refinery29 - for Millennials) and that a lot of people agree with it.

What do you think?


I'm from an older generation (Gen X) and this type of thinking honestly surprises me. Generally people tell teens not to get pregnant because they're not independent yet and can't afford to have a baby. That's the main issue. But people who have graduated from college might have good enough jobs to be able to afford one.

Fwiw, I had my first child at 26 and I feel that these Millenials would be judging the heck out of me! But we were making over 200k at the time, we could easily afford a baby. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Millenials suck. Just ignore them

[Anonymous]

I think it’s the extension of adolescence. People view 22 year olds today the way they used to look at 16 year olds. Not that far from adulthood, but not there yet.

[Anonymous]

It's been a bad life choice for decades. I know plenty of women who had kids in their 20's that had deep regrets in their 40's and 50's. No news here.

[Anonymous]

No -
When I think about teen pregnancy I think about a situation where someone did not have full information or understand consequences of choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been a bad life choice for decades. I know plenty of women who had kids in their 20's that had deep regrets in their 40's and 50's. No news here.

Bad life choice?

You could say the same thing about late 30's/40s pregnancy. I know plenty of women who waited until after 35 and needed fertility treatments. Sometimes even that doesn't work.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is about to graduate from college and she was talking about some of the girls on her campus who are already engaged. In some ways, she described it as a cop-out. Getting married and having kids is easier than having to go through all that shit: THe crappy room in the row house on capitol hill, the crappy first apartment; the first job; the job hunt. The ones who are getting married seem to be preoccupied with home furnishings and pinterest pages while everyone else is thinking about things like resumes and budgets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been a bad life choice for decades. I know plenty of women who had kids in their 20's that had deep regrets in their 40's and 50's. No news here.

How can it be a bad life choice to have children when you're biologically at your peak AND you make enough money to easily support them?>

OP said she was making 200k at 26, which is a great income for mid twenty somethings. One can only assume their income rose from there...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is about to graduate from college and she was talking about some of the girls on her campus who are already engaged. In some ways, she described it as a cop-out. Getting married and having kids is easier than having to go through all that shit: THe crappy room in the row house on capitol hill, the crappy first apartment; the first job; the job hunt. The ones who are getting married seem to be preoccupied with home furnishings and pinterest pages while everyone else is thinking about things like resumes and budgets.

I get that, but unless they’re never going to work at all (doubtful), they’re going to end up doing all these things too, just with a permanent roommate/partner. And the “serious” kids will also do all the wedding crap, just a little later, when it may even be more elaborate and opulent and comaiming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is about to graduate from college and she was talking about some of the girls on her campus who are already engaged. In some ways, she described it as a cop-out. Getting married and having kids is easier than having to go through all that shit: THe crappy room in the row house on capitol hill, the crappy first apartment; the first job; the job hunt. The ones who are getting married seem to be preoccupied with home furnishings and pinterest pages while everyone else is thinking about things like resumes and budgets.

You and your daughter seem like judgemental jerks. Nothing wrong with either path, follow the one that feels good on your own feet and allow for other people having different preferences.

I absolutely LOVED my time living in a crappy room in a crappy rowhouse. Got one of my best friends from that! I got my husband from my first crappy job. And now I'm preoccupied with home furnishings and my babies 10 years later. You don't need to mock another life even if you know it wouldn't be for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is about to graduate from college and she was talking about some of the girls on her campus who are already engaged. In some ways, she described it as a cop-out. Getting married and having kids is easier than having to go through all that shit: THe crappy room in the row house on capitol hill, the crappy first apartment; the first job; the job hunt. The ones who are getting married seem to be preoccupied with home furnishings and pinterest pages while everyone else is thinking about things like resumes and budgets.

I get that, but unless they’re never going to work at all (doubtful), they’re going to end up doing all these things too, just with a permanent roommate/partner. And the “serious” kids will also do all the wedding crap, just a little later, when it may even be more elaborate and opulent and comaiming.

I meant *consuming* but that is a funny autocorrect!

[Anonymous]

For sure. I also believe that with parental help you cannot have children in your 20s. We were making 150k by the time we reached 30 and that was enough that we could start TTC. We just could not afford a 20k a year daycare before then (It's now 38k with 2 in daycare). We also didn't have the time for the constant responsibility of parenting in our 20s. American extended families don't help at all and it's all on the parents, so this isn't something most 20 year olds can do.

[Anonymous]

My mother and father were 22 and 24 when they had me. Did their phds with an infant and grandparent help (different con try). I was very close with my grandmother who was going and energetic.
I had my kid at 34. It is so amazing that my dd has grandparents who are barely 60. Super active and can be fully involved with her life for the next 20 years. Cubcomparison by inlaws are a decade older and whole active everything is harder for them and they cannot enjoy being grandparents as much due to health issues.
I wish I met my husband earlier and had kids at 25. My job was so much easier then I would have had an easier time for the first 5 years of my kids life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's been a bad life choice for decades. I know plenty of women who had kids in their 20's that had deep regrets in their 40's and 50's. No news here.

How can it be a bad life choice to have children when you're biologically at your peak AND you make enough money to easily support them?>

OP said she was making 200k at 26, which is a great income for mid twenty somethings. One can only assume their income rose from there...

26 isn't early 20s.

Most 20-23 year olds aren't making enough money to support a family. Generations ago they would have been. That's the difference.

[Anonymous]

^ this

yet, chances are they could be making some type of living, somewhere, and could to support a child. If they had to. If it were a surprise, unexpected pregnancy.