I'm broody but want to hold off because I feel 'young'

[Dressedupdown]

This is daft but I'm fighting broody feelings all the time. I'm tracking ovulation, imagining due dates, spending so much time with the babies of my siblings.

I'm 26 (27 in April), been with DH since we were teenagers and we have a home and good jobs, so nothing really holding me back. But I feel this pressure to 'live it up' a bit until I'm 30, as none of my friends have kids yet and I worry I'll regret having them younger than other people my age. A few parents have told me to wait and get everything out my system first, like the holidays/lie ins/night outs and I get where they are coming from.

My heart says YES, my head says hold off and enjoy your 20s some more. I don't even know if I'm fertile or how long it will take though.

Anyone felt the same/what did you do and are you happy with your decision?

DH and I never got round to backpacking. I regretted that at times but I don’t now- I don’t feel I missed out really. We’ve been fortunate and have been able to go on some really fantastic holidays with our kids.

DH and I are mid/late 40s now and within a couple of years will be holidaying childfree which means we can go outside of school holidays (we might still invite the adult children on some of our holidays though!) We also hope to travel more widely once we’re retired, health permitting. My dream is to buy an RV and travel around Europe for an extended period.

No it doesn't. Doesn't come anywhere close and I've done both. In fact I've stayed in 7* hotels in my 40s and 50s and its boring as fuck compared to our experiences backpacking in our 20s. In answer to your other question I took a years sabbatical from my job. DH left his and got another when we got back. We rented our house out for a year.

I backpacked with kids too, it was fine. Just take a sabbatical if it's that important to you.

Echoing others who have said you've nothing to wait for. It might not happen right away and you can still travel and have nights out while you're trying.

I was your age when I decided to wait a couple of years, then it took 4 years and 2 miscarriages to have my DS. We might not be able to have a same one if it takes as long this time around so I do wish we'd tried sooner.

Even if it happens right away you're unlikely to regret it at 27.

I had my two children at 31 & 37. I definitely feel like an old mother in the school playground. 26/27 is a brilliant age to have babies. Go for it. Why wait?