How old were you when you had kids?

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  • toadiejones
    toadiejones Posts: 608 Member
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    I was 27 with my first (then 30, 32, 34). Now at 36, we are the youngest parents of all my firstborns friends. By at least 5 years. Many of our high school friend are only starting to have kids now. Even so, I wish we had started younger (partly so my body would have recovered easier!). We married when we were 22 but waited to be more financially stable...and we really didn't need to. We could have easily done it early. Kids honestly don't need much. If you wait for everything to be perfect to have kids, you'll never have 'em. Sometimes you just have to jump in!
  • bellevie23
    bellevie23 Posts: 208 Member
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    19, 23, 24, 26, 27, annnnddd then I allowed people to intervene and make me sterile ;) However my daughter passed away and one of those was a MC. I have 3 living children.


    I too did not want to have any more children in my 30s, I have a girl and two boys, they dont make a 3rd kind, so there wasn't that whole 'continue trying for both', I would like to be able to spend as much time with my children and eventually grandchildren as possible, this is going off the theory I die from health and not something else. Also, my husband wanted to try for a boy before his deployments in case the worst happened, that there was someone to pass his name on, I would rather spend my 40s-50s to myself than my 20s, especially considering I was already settled down. My body bounced back quicker than the likelihood it would if I waited longer, I could go on and on on MY reasons for having them younger, but that should give an idea lol.

    It really is each person's lifestyle choice, although the risk are higher having a baby with complications at a later age, unhealthy babies are not solely biased to later age. Do what makes you happy, even after you have one I guarantee people will be asking when you are going to have another, and forbid they be the same sex, they will ask when you are going to try for another to have the opposite sex, it is a never ending thing LOL, so don't feel pressured if you don't want to now.
  • loombeav
    loombeav Posts: 391 Member
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    24 with my 1st 31 with my 2nd.
  • caroliiine86
    caroliiine86 Posts: 88
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    19 :)
  • Sh1tsRainbows
    Sh1tsRainbows Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I was 25 ...bf was 18 with our 1st
  • wellbur
    wellbur Posts: 240 Member
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    I was a late starter, but glad i did. the children have kept me young. I had my daughter when i was 34 and my son when i was 36. I think you are more relaxed the older you are.
  • dargytaylor
    dargytaylor Posts: 840 Member
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    By the time I was 25 and my EX husband was 26, we had 3 boys.

    Now I am 43 and my youngest is 18......Very bittersweet to me, they are all grown up and I am still pretty young and hip :wink:

    BUT, I truly think early to mid-30's would be the best time to have kids..........you had time to grow, and you will still be pretty young when they are older!
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
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    I had my son 2 days before I turned 21, then did not have my daughter until 2 months before I turned 27.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    24 yrs for the first - This was a surprise!
    26 yrs for the second - Another surprise but not as much as the first.

    The oldest is now 21 yrs old!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    24 :smile:
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,849 Member
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    I would like to have my first child before I'm 30. Mind you, my mom had had 3 kids before that! First at 18, me at 23 and my younger brother at 27.

    It was a different time though, don't stress over what others are saying. Have your kids when you're ready to have kids. Too many people are having them without even being remotely close to being financially stable.

    All the best, hun.
  • kiters
    kiters Posts: 60 Member
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    I was 18 with my first and 25 with my second. I'm 28 now.

    I agree, financial stablility is important but I love my kids....they are clothed, fed and sheltered and have almost every toy they ask for and I'm still not financially stable lol. Do it when you feel your ready to be a mom.
  • k0nfyo0zed
    k0nfyo0zed Posts: 313 Member
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    wow this got a lot more responses than i was expecting. thank you all for your input! i am very excited to be married and start a family, however, with so much going on with my husband's grad school adventure we won't actually settle until after he graduates. we're moving basically every summer. this august and next august, and then probably the following june... and because of that, me having a steady job is almost impossible. as such, we don't have much money right now. a little savings and a lot of loan money... i don't think we would be able to be proper parents right now, as much as i'd love to get started.

    the plan for us is for me to be a SAHM, and i plan on doing something like medical transcription. something i can do when the babies are sleeping or late at night. with my husband going to school to be a pastor, his job will basically be 'on call 24/7' and we really don't have to worry about "WHO'S GONNA WATCH THE KIDS?!' if he gets an emergency call when i'm working. also, because i plan on being at home, and working at home, children close together shouldn't cause too much of an issue, we're hoping.

    with 3 sets of grandparents (my husband's parents divorced and remarried when he was very young), 6 sets of aunts and uncles, and other family out the wazoo. the kids will be spoiled rotten, especially considering they will be pastor's kids, and from my experience in church, the congregation will also spoil them rotten. hopefully this means there will always be someone willing to watch them for a few days while hubby and i take a break to be husband and wife, instead of mom and dad.

    we've thought this through, and discussed it at length... and we are in agreement, have been since before we even got engaged. it just nags at me that i'm going to be 30 next year and have not had children yet.
  • bluberrygoo
    bluberrygoo Posts: 222 Member
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    I was 19 when I conceived my first son, 20 when he was born. 22 when my second son was born. I want two more before I'm 26 (I'm 23 now), but I doubt it will happen.
  • All4Tris
    All4Tris Posts: 215 Member
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    I was 27 when I had my one and only son.
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member
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    Had my first at 30 and my second at 32.

    I have several friends my age now (35) that have either just had their first.. or are trying for their first. I don't think it's such a big deal now to wait later to have kids. My mom had 3 (her first was still-born) at 23, then my sister at 25 and me at 27. When she was in the hospital (to give birth to me) there were a couple of nurses and even a doctor who couldn't believe she was so old and having a baby. Crazyness I say!
  • kreat
    kreat Posts: 136
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    23
  • spa9177
    spa9177 Posts: 327 Member
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    I had my first child at 18. I know that is very young, but I am very well off and have been married for almost 17 years. I have a total of 3 children and we are very happy. Their ages are 16, 12, and 7, 2 boys and 1 girl.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    28 with first one, 35 with the second and 44 with the third. I sowed my wild oats before I had children, traveled around the world, lived on a sailboat, and generally played like a wild child. :bigsmile: :happy: But once I did settle down, I was/am perfectly happy being a mom and doing the domestic goddess thing...
  • run4yourlife
    run4yourlife Posts: 379 Member
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    My daughter was born 2 weeks before my 27th birthday, and I had my son when I was 29. I used to think I wanted to be done having babies before I hit 30, but now that I'm in my 30s, I see NO reason why I couldn't be having children now. That whole "too old" argument is irrelevant if you ask me.

    I'm happy I had my kids when I did, and I feel I was ready, but I probably would have worried and stressed far less if I was having them now. You certainly are NOT too old, nor anywhere near! You and your husband should do what's best for you. Don't be influenced by what your family thinks. You definitely don't want to rush it. Being a parent changes your life in all kinds of ways and you'll probably be more prepared if you wait until you feel the time is right.

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