To ask how long does it take to meet someone and have a baby?

[WhereDoesThisRoadGo]

This is going to seem like a ridiculous question, which I acknowledge, bit hope you forgive me because we cannot be rational all the time. I am worrying a lot that, at 33, I am no closer to having a child than I was at 23. And I am just getting older. I am single and do not have anyone in the pipeline who wants children one day. Please share your stories of time between met - engaged - married - baby (or met - baby) to help me work out what my cut off needs to be for giving up going it alone.

A close friend broke the news to her boyfriend of 6 months that she was pregnant . . . and this happened when she was 40 and he 44 (first baby for both of them). They were both somewhat floored by this, but now their DD is 18 months old, they are still totally loved up with each other and DD. This was the happiest of endings after a lifetime of unsuitable/inappropriate/lazy boyfriends and not what she'd intended when she embarked on a relationship with a friend of a friend she'd been introduced to by chance.

Met autumn 2002, started dating Jan 2003, moved city and bought house Jan 2004, married May 2004.
Would have had first baby Sept 2005 but after multiple miscarriages first DC placed for adoption Jan 2012.

35 when we met. He's 12 years older.

But don't assume that because you meet someone and you're both on the same page re. babies that they will magically appear immediately.

We met in 2007, engaged in 2012 and married 2013. First child born in 2013, second in 2016. Still very happy together :)

Got together in March 2000 (I was 26)
Engaged July 2000
Married April 2001
Baby Feb 2002 (only child)

It was a whirlwind, but I knew it was 100% right. He completes me, is literally my 'other half' and I would be lost without him. 16 years on, we adore each other. If DD and I hadn't nearly died during childbirth, we may well have had more children, but we're grateful for what we have.

We'd have been equally happy without children (I'd always been told I was unlikely to conceive due to long term health issues - hence the contraceptive free honeymoon ).

I went it alone. No regrets at all, best decision I ever made. It was my 'last resort' but in the event this happens to you, I would say go for it. There is a lot of support out there from women who have made this decision, and I've made some good friends. I just knew there was no option for me of not trying. Good luck whatever happens, and I hope you meet someone. X

Met DH at 29.
Moved in at 4 months
Engaged at 6 months.
Married at 18 months.
Pregnant 18 months later (tree from just before the wedding)

Me DP at 35
Moved in together a week later
Got pregnant (planned) 9 months

We knew it was gonna be forever and we were both mid 30s, so we didn't see the point in waiting. Now we're just waiting for bubba to be a bit older so she can be flower girl at our wedding

Met DP April 2013, engaged last June, getting married in July, will start TTC after our proper honeymoon in April.

Met my OH in 2013, moved in after 4 months!! 😱 engaged in 2016 and now pregnant with first, due I'm August!
My best friend has only been with her OH for 2 years and is expecting their first child and getting married later this year! Whatever works for you x

I had DS at 37 and part of me will always wonder if his autism was related to my age.

I had DS at 16 ! He is too on the spectrum. Autism doesn't seem to discriminate with age. I've met mums who have had DC's in their early late 20s and ended up with a child on the spectrum.

Met Aug 11, aged 32.
Moved in together Jan 13
Engaged July 14
Married October 15
Started TTC Jan 17
No joy yet - I'm 38 now and worry we've left it too late, but neither of us were mentally or practically ready to be parents before this point. In fact, if I knew I had many fertile years left in me, I'd quite happily wait until I'm in my 40s, but alas nature doesn't work that way.

I met DH in Dec 2011 when I was 34, nearly 35. Within about 6 weeks we'd decided we wanted to get married and have a baby but for practical reasons we didn't do it right away.
Started ttc beginning of 2013 and in that year I had a miscarriage and got pregnant again and we moved in together. Baby born in 2014 when I was 37. We bought a house together last year and got married on Saturday!

Met 2008. Engaged 2013. Married 2015. First baby due in June.

Met- 2 years later became a couple
2 years after that got married.
8 years after that had first child .

12 years. But we hoped to have had children after about 4 years married if we hadn't had fertility issues.

By the time DH and I celebrated our one year anniversary we had a 1 month old baby. She's 14 in September and we have DS 7, still together, still happy. ☺️

Met DH, got engaged 4 weeks later and got married 17 months after that. We were just short of 3 years together when Dd arrived.

Met my lovely man at age 39, pregnant within a month -but lost that baby. Married later that year. Had my wonderful son at age 42.

Acknowledged I wanted a relationship at month 0, met dh month 18, pregnant month 20, baby born month 29, married month 33. That was all 14 years ago.

There's a very good book called How not to stay single - I didn't use it but dh did! Summary - tell everyone you are looking.

I have to say my previous marriage was equally rapid and didn't work at all.

Met oh at 33, long distance relationship for 9 months, moved up to Scotland at 34, started trying for a baby at 35, it took 20 months including 4 months of not trying in the run up to our wedding. We were due for me to start fertility medication the following month but fell pregnant naturally at 37. Gave birth just after turning 38. Would have liked another but due to my having a flare of chronic illness and not recovering until I was nearly 41 and dh nearly 48, decided we were too old.

When we met I was 37 she was 34. First baby 3 years later.. another surprise one eight years after that!

So don't panic and don't rush.. look for the right person :-)

Met Dh may 1995, married Dec 95, ds1 Dec 1997, ds2 Mar 2007 and dd Mar 2013 when I was 41! No hard and fast rules duck it will happen exactly when it's meant to. Good luck

Met Sept 2011.
We courted but got together officially March 2012.
Moved in August 2012.
Pregnant April 2014.
Married Sept 2014.
Dd born Dec 2014.

Met in Jan, engaged in Feb, pregnant in March, married in Sept, 1st boy in Dec.

14 years, 2 further boys later, happy as Larry. The key could be that I was 30 and he was 39 when we met......

Congratulations @NerdyBird!

I lost my first husband to cancer at 24 (1995) but met my second husband very quickly and married again at 25 (1996). Our first baby was born in 2006 when I was 35 quickly followed by baby two (2007) when I was 36 and baby three (2009) when I was 38. You have time xxx