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Original poster

What age would consider someone to be a young mum?

119 replies

Himitsu · 07/08/2024 21:20

Not including teen parents, as that’s a separate category.

Someone referred to me as a young mum today and I was like eh? I’m 30! I’d consider 20 to maybe 23-24 to be a young mum. Just curious what others feel! I had my first at 20 and definitely felt young then!

OP posts:
Growlybear83 · 08/08/2024 09:59

I would say under 20. I was 34 when I got pregnant and was very much classed as an older mum at that time. With one exception, all of my friends had their children in their late teens or early/mid 20s.

Hellyeahbaby · 08/08/2024 09:57

I'd say early 20s

I had my older kids between ages of 19 and 24, was youngest at weigh in clinics, avoided play groups as everyone was a lot older, was def look down upon.

My little suprise that we had later in life and wasn't planned at all but such a blessing makes me feel like a geriatric mum, I'm 45 . they are so young these days at school gates.

Isittimeformynapyet · 08/08/2024 09:56

Ponoka7 · 08/08/2024 09:49

No that's actually how many people describe mum's with 0-3 year olds.
I'd say under 23.

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So I've learnt! 😀

LostittoBostik · 08/08/2024 09:56

Maybe they called you a young mum because you have a 10 year old?

LostittoBostik · 08/08/2024 09:56

Under 25

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 08/08/2024 09:55

These days anyone under 30 😀but my experience is London where most of my peer group were in rented accommodation, a long way from family and starting out on their careers. Having a child in your 20's would have been a death knell to career progression and childcare/housing completely unaffordable.

LaeralSilverhand · 08/08/2024 09:53

Under 30. Although probably more like 35 where I live.

Notthatcatagain · 08/08/2024 09:53

JudgeJ · 08/08/2024 07:55

In MN terms anyone under 35 seems to be too young! I was 29 in 1977 and classed as an 'elderly prima gravida', times change, no doubt they will again.

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Same here, elderly felt quite a hard description at 29. Most of my friends children were already school age by then though

Crystallizedring · 08/08/2024 09:52

Under 25. Although I was 26 when I had my first and felt young. I had my second at 28 and all of a sudden it felt like a lot of the mum's I knew were all older than me.
I had my 3rd when I was 40. I'm one of the older mums now!

Allie47 · 08/08/2024 09:51

Anyone under 40 is young to me these days 🤣😆 but I'd consider a young mum as anyone under 25. It was any women under 20 in my mums day.

BCBird · 08/08/2024 09:50

Under 30

Ponoka7 · 08/08/2024 09:49

Isittimeformynapyet · 07/08/2024 21:35

If I asked if you were a rich mum, would you think I was asking if your offspring were rich?

Things must get very complicated in your world.

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No that's actually how many people describe mum's with 0-3 year olds.
I'd say under 23.

forgivingfiggy · 08/08/2024 09:49

Young mum means young kids imo.

Isthisit2 · 08/08/2024 09:48

@Himitsu 30 is not a young mum 😂😂 I think it’s just something someone says. I remember that when Meghan and harry had their babies , I read a lot of people calling them “young parents”. A friend of mine recently had an issue at work and she has a baby , in her words she was saying “they are just trying to bully me as they know I’ve had a baby and as a youngish mum I’m vulnerable “ or something like that but she definitely mentioned that she was a young mum , she’s 38.. She also wasn’t referring to the child’s age.

Peonies12 · 08/08/2024 09:48

I'd say under 30. But depends on social groups I think. My friend was first to have a baby at 26 and I thought it was just insanely young, but I wonder if that's because we'd all been at university until only a few years prior. I'm 33 expecting my first and I feel average age in the parents to be we've met locally, but we do live in an affluent south east town. Statistically now it's more common to have your first child when you're over 30, than under 30.

Sweetteaplease · 08/08/2024 09:48

K0OLA1D · 08/08/2024 09:20

See this to me sounds like you're referring to young mum as a bad thing.

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I think it depends on the individual and what their aspirations are

mytuppennyworth · 08/08/2024 09:47

I would say a young mum is a woman with young kids

AveAtqueVale · 08/08/2024 09:47

I had my eldest at 23 and definitely felt (too) young to be a Mum, though I would never have admitted that. Not helped by the whole thing being the result of contraceptive failure in a relatively new relationship, while I was still a medical student, and my Mum reacting as though I was 14 when I told her.

I'm now 34, expecting my 3rd, and feel much too old😂- keep having to remind myself that most of my school and uni friends have only just started thinking about babies!

BobnLen · 08/08/2024 09:46

Under 25.

Ozanj · 08/08/2024 09:43

Under 21 was medically described as young mum in the past due to various challenges only they have. These challenges are now increasingly applicable to under 25s too.

itsgettingweird · 08/08/2024 09:37

I was 24 (and 2 days!) when ds was born.

I didn't consider myself a young mum but knew I was younger than the average age people have babies nowadays. I was considered a young mum.

Interestingly I also work with many people who had kids at 20/21/22 and I consider them young mums.

I guess if you had your child at 38 then 30 is a young mum.

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 08/08/2024 09:32

I'd say 25 and under too, although I already had 4 children and was pregnant again at that age.

HardyRoseSquid · 08/08/2024 09:30

I think under 22 / 23 is what I would consider young to be a young mum, but I agree it’s an amorphous category.

SinisterBumFacedCat · 08/08/2024 09:30

Under 25 I would consider young. My DM was 18 when she had me, my DF was 20. This played a big part in my decision not to have children until my 30’s!

Notellinganyone · 08/08/2024 09:27

iolaus · 07/08/2024 21:23

There are two ways of looking at it

a mum who is young (maybe under 25)

or a mum to a young baby (baby under 6 months regardless of the mothers age)

That makes no sense! The age of the baby is irrelevant as young is being used to describe the mother, Otherwise it would be mother to a young child!