Baby Fever!

I'm 26, and have been feeling this for a few years now. Right now, I feel im at my peak. I'm doing my GED right now, and almost done..not sure if i should attempt college, mariaage and family all in one..heard others can do it, I feel I can too. Anyone else going through this? How old were you when you felt the desire? How did you go about things?

I have a very strong maternal instinct. For a number of years I've dealt with this by working for children's charities. I genuinely believe my one true 'calling' in life is to help children in any way I can. That's the one thing that makes my life truly purposeful. Many things make me extremely happy, my fiance for instance, but I do feel unfulfilled if I'm not somehow working to make the lives of children better. For me, my charity work is a big distraction for now. I'm 24, and I'm aiming to have a child when I'm 27 or 28, probably more like 28.

It's very important to me to have plenty of money set aside, and to be a healthy weight before I get pregnant. That's what triggered me to change my lifestyle - I can be as unhealthy as I like if I'm only living for me, but no way am I deliberately going to get pregnant and have another innocent person I love so much use my unhealthy body. I went to university, found the man I loved and we're due to get married next year. Then, we have a couple more years to live just for us, setting aside money and building a future at the same time as having a little frivolous fun with holidays, days out and lazy days in, then I can start a family knowing I've made the best of it. I know my instinct is strong, but I also know my life (and my fiance's) will change completely when I become pregnant. I might desperately want to be a mum, but I'm not going to throw away these years either.

my father in law gave me some great advice:

Never wait until you can afford children because you will never be able to.
Never wait until you feel that you have time for children because there is never going to be a perfect moment.
it doesn't matter when or how. you are not going to love them any different.

SO TRUE!!

I turned 40 in 2011. I've wanted children for about 20 years. One of the reasons I'm working on getting healthy is so that I can (God willing) become a mother.

i waited until i was 32 to have my first. I have 3 kids now 3, 6 & 7.

I am so glad i waited until i had an established career and that i spent time being utterly selfish.

my father in law gave me some great advice:

Never wait until you can afford children because you will never be able to.
Never wait until you feel that you have time for children because there is never going to be a perfect moment.
it doesn't matter when or how. you are not going to love them any different.

I agree 100%!!!

I get like that sometimes at 25...I want just one baby! But I'd like to spend just a couple more years being selfish (maybe 3 or 4)....

In my 20's all I could think about was babies! (I was married)... It probably hit shortly after I got married at 22. My ex and I were unable to have kids (blessing in disguise!!!!) together.

I'm 32 now and getting divorced. Now all I can think about is mini skirts, heels, friends, etc. I'm going backwards!

I'm about to go selfish- BIG TIME. If kids are in my future then they are, if they're not then so be it.

my father in law gave me some great advice:

Never wait until you can afford children because you will never be able to.
Never wait until you feel that you have time for children because there is never going to be a perfect moment.
it doesn't matter when or how. you are not going to love them any different.

Thank you for posting this. I don't think you know what this did for me :flowerforyou:

An evening babysitting has always managed to kill my "baby fever"

Oh and waitressing, waitressing really did a number on my maternal instinct.

I agree that there is no "right time", but I think you can plan for the best time possible. I'm going to be 29 next month and I really just got baby crazy within the last year. For me personally, I'm waiting until I'm just about finished grad school before we start actively trying for a baby. I know how I am when I get consumed with school work and I don't think I could handle a baby on top of that. But everyone is different!

Right now I am planning a wedding (3 months away eek!), going through a major kitchen/bathroom renovation, trying to get promoted at work, and I started grad school in the Fall of 2011. Oh yea, and I have a fiance who wants to spend time with me. Most people think I'm nuts, but I actually function better when my life is busy! My point is...do what feels right for you. No one else can tell you what you can and cannot handle .

I am almost 26 and have had really bad baby fever since I got married at 24 UNTIL my nephew came and I babysat him several times and for 12 hours and tried taking him grocery shopping or clothing shopping with me or just out anywhere ahhhhh. Now i'm content to enjoy my nephew and "see what happens" between me and my husband. it's A LOT of work and i've decided to enjoy things the way they are for now.

I know that sounds like we are trying and I guess i'm some technical way we are, but i'm no longer bummed each month that i'm not pregnant and i'm not worried if I don't get pregnant soon. I will say though that both my husband and I have established carreers, finished our degrees, and own our home. While I agree that you are never ready for children financially, I personally had/have financial and personal goals in mind before we started to "see what happens"

An evening babysitting has always managed to kill my "baby fever"

Funny in my 20's I'd keep my baby goddaughter for a weekend and I LOVED it. I'd cherish it and play mommy. It'd make my ovaries quiver even more.
Last year I babysat my 10 month old nephew while my sis and her hub went away for about 5 days. :noway: He's a good baby too. I was tired, grouchy, couldn't do my nails, couldn't work out w/o stopping, etc etc. It dramatically made me re-think kiddos.

I have never had baby fever.

I am 27, I will be 28 in June. I have had this "Baby Fever" for 3 years or so. My fiance and I bought a house last April, we are getting our bills paid off. on the other hand, 3 years ago I was bar tending and I had a crappy night with perverted men all over the place and I hated it... I put my 2 weeks in and I told my fiance that I really wanted to quit work and go to school. He told me to quit my job (though I already had done so) and go to school so that I can provide a good life for a little one. I am going into my third year of college, in 2 or 3 years I will have my bachelors in Radiological Science and then I will have a baby.. My advice to you is get the things you want in life done, as in a college degree, before you have a child. Believe me, it will make life so much easier. I couldn't imagine having a little one right now AND go to school. I didn't want to regret not going to school, though my wants for a little one are so strong. Good luck to whatever you do, and if you want to chit chat with someone who is going through what you are, feel free to add me as a friend. I will do what I can to help you through it.

I never had "baby fever", I just sort of got pregnant at 18! hahahhahaha...
I did want a kid before I got old so I got pregnant again at 26, he was not a suprise.