How old were you when you had your first baby and how many did you have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:where do all the moms who started in their 20s live? Because I don't know many - we always feel like the youngest parents in our daughter's classes.

We live in Rockville, but we lived in another state (for grad school) when I had #1 at 23.

[Anonymous]

29 and
32 (still pregnant)

[Anonymous]

Got married at 30, started TTC at 33, finally gave birth to my first soon after turning 36. Will give birth to #2 shortly after turning 39.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:31 for #1
33 for #2
35 for #3
I personally wish I would have started sooner, so there was the possibility of a 4th and maybe a 5th while I was still younger.

Ditto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Chicago my friends all had children in their 20's.

Out here everyone starts in their late 30's.

Very interesting.

Do your Chicago friends have high powered careers and graduate degrees, or not so much?

Yes, they do as a matter of fact. More so than the people I know in DC. In case you didn't know, Chicago is a large city, people out that way can also have high powered careers and go to graduate school, those things aren't unique to DC. My BFF from college is curator of a very famous museum, another is a marine biologist at the Shed Aquarium, two others are lawyers are top law firms. And yes, they all had children before the age 28. Crazy!!

What a stupid thing to ask.

[Anonymous]

27. One and done.

[Anonymous]

Got married at 22, started TTC at 30, gave birth to my first soon before turning 32 (had M/C at 31). Experience 2ndary infertility and had IVF twins at 35. Wouldn't do anything different - I love having 3 kids and I love who my kids are.

[Anonymous]

where do all the moms who started in their 20s live? Because I don't know many - we always feel like the youngest parents in our daughter's classes.

Before we moved to the D.C. area, I didn't know anyone who had kids after about 35....and even that was considered a little old. I think most of us just didn't want to worry about the increased risk of abnormalities with the baby, infertility, or maternal health problems that come with having babies after about 35.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20 #1
22 #2
24 #3
26 #4
28 #5
30 #6
32 #7
33 and 360 days #8

Just turned 35, so now I'm AMA, which makes me so sad. I hope I have a few more rapturous homebirths yet...

I love you, crazy 8-baby poster. Your posts always make me smile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 #1
22 #2
24 #3
26 #4
28 #5
30 #6
32 #7
33 and 360 days #8

Just turned 35, so now I'm AMA, which makes me so sad. I hope I have a few more rapturous homebirths yet...

I love you, crazy 8-baby poster. Your posts always make me smile.

Lots of love right back to you!

[Anonymous]

DC1 - 35
DC2 - due when I will be 37

Considering having a third when I am 39 but 2 is probably enough for us. Decision on third will not likely be related to my age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Chicago my friends all had children in their 20's.

Out here everyone starts in their late 30's.

Very interesting.

Do your Chicago friends have high powered careers and graduate degrees, or not so much?

We're in Chicago, #1 at 28 and #2 at 30. We only started that late because our families were against our marriage. We wanted to wait until they were all in terms with each other before introducing children into the "mess". I gave up my high powered career with all my degrees to stay at home and support DH going back to school.

Are you really that insecure about your own choices?

I was just asking a question. Really. It's real hard to make partner if you have 3 kids before you're 30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Chicago my friends all had children in their 20's.

Out here everyone starts in their late 30's.

Very interesting.

Do your Chicago friends have high powered careers and graduate degrees, or not so much?

Yes, they do as a matter of fact. More so than the people I know in DC. In case you didn't know, Chicago is a large city, people out that way can also have high powered careers and go to graduate school, those things aren't unique to DC. My BFF from college is curator of a very famous museum, another is a marine biologist at the Shed Aquarium, two others are lawyers are top law firms. And yes, they all had children before the age 28. Crazy!!

What a stupid thing to ask.

Do the lawyers have stay at home spouses? I was working 80 hours a week in the second half of my 20s, no time for marriage, much less kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

where do all the moms who started in their 20s live? Because I don't know many - we always feel like the youngest parents in our daughter's classes.

Before we moved to the D.C. area, I didn't know anyone who had kids after about 35....and even that was considered a little old. I think most of us just didn't want to worry about the increased risk of abnormalities with the baby, infertility, or maternal health problems that come with having babies after about 35.

I have a question. How did all the people wherever you are from meet their spouses so young? I didn't even meet DH until I was 27.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

where do all the moms who started in their 20s live? Because I don't know many - we always feel like the youngest parents in our daughter's classes.

Before we moved to the D.C. area, I didn't know anyone who had kids after about 35....and even that was considered a little old. I think most of us just didn't want to worry about the increased risk of abnormalities with the baby, infertility, or maternal health problems that come with having babies after about 35.

I have a question. How did all the people wherever you are from meet their spouses so young? I didn't even meet DH until I was 27.

College, I imagine. Among my classmates it was pretty common to marry your college sweetheart. We were still the youngest parents at 22 though -- most were married a few years before they started having babies around 28-30.

Regarding combining having children young with a career, having a child while in college or grad school so they are older by the time you're mid-career and really need to give it your all worked really well for me. It also worked really well for my mother and most of her friends. Of course, there is a difference between having one child in your 20s when you are in a more or less stable relationship (mine ended in amicable divorce) and have grandparents nearby willing to pitch in, and having 4 by the time you're 30. I am in awe of anyone who can do the latter and still build a successful career.