Best age to have a baby?

[Anonymous]

I've had five kids. Mid-late 20s is the best age.

[Anonymous]

42 was great for me. Luckily, I am smart enough to know it might not be for others. Enjoy patting yourself on the back.

[Anonymous]

For ones with student loans and low income, its crucial to increase income, pay off debt and build an emergency fund before having children. That is, if you even want to have any. Kids are expensive and life can turn into a cycle of non ending struggle. Its a luxury subscription with high monthly fees fir 21years, not everyone needs it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had five kids. Mid-late 20s is the best age.

Just like having kids after 40 is a questionable decision, having 5 kids is also one. Obviously everyone is entitled to their choice but its not for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had five kids. Mid-late 20s is the best age.

Just like having kids after 40 is a questionable decision, having 5 kids is also one. Obviously everyone is entitled to their choice but its not for everyone.

I love how you said everyone is entitled to their choice but added a load of judgment with the “questionable decision.” MYOB, I’m sure you hate it when people question and judge your life decisions.

[Anonymous]

46?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are all bad, but somewhere between 23 and 45 are the best years.

Why are they all "bad?"

Because every age has drawbacks and parenting is always hard. I am not trying to discourage anyone from having kids! Just saying that these debates about when people should have them really come down to minuscule differences in the good v. the bad compared to the overall physical, emotional, and financial cost of having children. And there is always an element of uncertainty involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh no, not another forum for brunch granny to berate us for choosing to have children after age 35.

She'd berate for any after 25.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best age is whatever works for your particular situation. Why do you care what others choose to do, OP?

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had my first at 29 and would not change a thing.

+1

[Anonymous]

Physically I think it is better to have kids younger/later 20's. Pregnancy is harder as you get older also harder to keep up with kids as you age. I am 46 now and can not imagine having a toddler let alone a newborn. But I also understand that most of us can't control when we have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you want and can care properly for them.

That will vary enormously by person. The right age for my first was 34 when I had achieved a career level that gave me six months of maternity leave and on-site childcare, as well as a plan to fully fund college.

I’m sure your kid will be thrilled to have student loan repayments hang over them for life so their mom could avoid being an “old mom”.

+1. I had my kids in my mid 20’s and early 30’s and and while it may have been physically easier, the detrimental effect it had on our finances and my career progression was so significant, I would not recommend this path to anyone, unless you have a very wealthy family that’s willing to help. I feel like this isn’t talked about enough here and instead there’s pages of posters berating people for being granny moms and having kids past 40.

Obviously money plays a role.

Right, so it’s obviously nasty and disingenuous of people to unfairly target older mothers who may have wanted to wait until they were financially stable to have kids.

I think the age of women should still be before 35 for at least first child.

This thread is about age of mother. The woman could be younger than the man.

DH is a year younger than me. I was earning around 200k at age 30 when we had our first. Dh was earning less. By the time I had my third, he was earning 500k.

I do think 25 is young because you haven’t established yourself at work yet.

[Anonymous]

Biology disagrees, but apparently we all transcend that these days.


I'd say mid forties is ideal.

[Anonymous]

I agree with OP overall. Got some time for my own life and adventures, some time with DH just us, and got pretty far in my career such that I was in a better place financially and also to have the reputation/expertise to be able to ask for more flexibility.

But - we are tired. Needed fertility treatment for one of our kids (mid 30s so may not have been age related). There have been a lot of times I wish we had them just a few yrs earlier.

[Anonymous]

Yeah the hate on 40 plus moms is strange here. I do find when people hate on others choices its because their own didn’t work out that well and they are trying to go back and justify their choices by tearing others down.