23 year old single and have been thinking about having a baby

Barbie I personally think you should wait. I am a similar age to you (24) and am TTC my first, but I'm also engaged to my DP I have been with for 6 years, we own a house together and have jobs in the city. I don't believe the whole "live you life" thing, because for me I've never wanted to go travelling or go out partying etc. But I do think you need to focus on meeting the right person before jumping headfirst into having children.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Enormouse - ooh interesting! I rarely meet someone like me, hence "MyCrazyLife" :)

I've put ordered the book of Logan's run off Amazon. Mumsnet is probably the only forum that sets homework.

mycrazy are you me? I went through similar experiences in my early twenties.

I assumed that the op and brooki were the same person.

Arsenic, quite.

Now, anyone else have any life changing plans they want to run by us?

Oh dear. Brooki for gods sake, don't make the stereotype worse!

Barbie -

I had my three children young (I was 19, 21 and 23).

I got pregnant easily, had pretty easy pregnancies, gave birth easily, breastfed easily, got my body back quickly, and have the energy to look after them all. Usually!

BUT. I'm 26 this year, and oh my god, the difference! Apparently the frontal cortex isn't fully developed until 25. This helps to control emotions etc. for me, it's absolutely true.

When I was 19/21/23, I had no fucking idea who I was, I tried to be someone else. I was jealous when others had babies, and wanted one. I chose a twat of a father for my first child, and I regret that. I dropped out of uni twice to have babies, and now can't go back as I have no funding left. I developed anxiety and god knows what else. I rented a horrible damp flat with my first baby and lived on benefits.

But now I feel like I've come through all that. I'm a confident, mature, strong young woman. I'm married to a lovely man and we have a beautiful house that we have the money to slowly decorate. Ironically, after three children I think I'm done childbearing but I think that only now, at almost 26, I'm just about ready to have children.

Your 20s are for finding out who you are. It's bloody hard to do that when you've got children!

FiftyShades

I think that is a very good summary of things .

Well my bladder caught to my whom and I'm only 17. This bizarre medical anomaly can happen to anyone!

I'm hoping she may pop back up today with some other gems of knowledge.
I'll get the popcorn ready.

It was a record breakingly fast capitulation, wasn't it?

Why is anyone even entertaining the intelligence vortex that is brooki?

And I don't believe for one second that the OP was seriously considering having a baby.
Oh I really wanna baby
Ten strangers on the internet say don't do it yet, it's pretty tough.
Oh ok, I won't then.

The whole thread is a waste of time.

I was just popping on to make a Logan's Run reference.
And also to call Brooki an idiot.

Well, if waiting til I found someone I wanted to get married to, set ourselves up financially, and ttc for a year and finally falling pregnant at the age of 39 makes me selfish, then I am quite happy to be called selfish.
All Brooki seems to know is how to google, cut and paste.....

Brooki, that doctor your friend saw...? That doctor was talking rubbish. Some doctors do that sometimes, you know.

Brooki, you are focusing too much on biology! Once the child arrives life changes forever, having a stable relationship, a stable home, a established career will make for a happier child.
I also find it sad that this society is underestimating the importance of a father in a child's life.

Wow Brooki, you're really something.
There is a massive difference between offering an informed opinion and dishing out rude and quite frankly ageist insults.
Something you've overlooked when mentioning your friend having a difficult second pregnancy after a smooth first one. A second pregnancy is going to be fundamentally more difficult when she is knackered from looking after another small child.
Well this has been entertaining but I'd better get some rest as now I'm in my 30s, i really should have been asleep hours ago after a nice cup of cocoa.

I think how well you cope physically with having babies probably has more to do with your overall fitness. Someone in their early thirties who is, fit, active, and healthy will probably be better off than someone 10 years younger who is unhealthy, inactive, overweight and so on.

So if you are worried about missing out on the physical benefits of having kids younger, the answer is to look after yourself as best as possible.

Sorry some of the posters have been a bit condescending in their tone OP, but I do think they are right.

Sounds like you feel somethibg is missing and you're trying to fill a gap. Work out what's missing from your life, maybe your job is getting boring? Maybe you need new challenges career wise? Maybe you need to meet new people? New partner? More travelling?

No I haven't arsenic. What else do I need to see before I'll need bifocals?

I've already seen the godfather, Casablanca and the green mile.

Only 3 good years of childbearing left. I best get shagging.

I can alternate climbing Ayers rock and seeing the Eiffel tower at night with procreating.

Have you seen 'Logan's Run' mouse?

You've only got three years left until your 29, I would start working through your bucket list if I were you

Nice trip to Switzerland?

I seem to have missed the bus...

Any suggestions for birthday gifts now I'm getting on a bit?

Ah x posts.