To ask what age you consider to be socially acceptable to have a baby these days?!

[campino]

I'm currently pregnant with my first and from chatting with my 24yo sister today I was shocked when she told me how many of her school friends have had babies of their own already. Not a bad thing by any means but thought it'd be interesting hearing your opinions on what age it goes from "OMG 'X' is pregnant" to "how lovely 'X' is pregnant!"

I sometimes forget that I'm not 18 so when I hear of people from school having kids I'm always a bit shocked and then I remember I'm 28.

I think younger than 16 is always a bit just because they are so young. However a good friend from school got pregnant at 15 and has done a fantastic job. I think regardless of age, are you going to do a decent job of this parenting malarkey? Because that's what counts

I had my three before my 25th. I'm so socially unacceptable

In all seriousness, I think people do think that from 24-25 is the 'proper' age to start procreating and that you should stop at 40. But I've known excellent mums that don't fit in that age band, as well as those who do.

In my NCT group of 8 mums, the youngest was 31 and the oldest was 39. I was 33 and thought I would be one of the oldest, but wasn't. We all had careers. My husband was the youngest dad at 33, and the oldest was 45. Where I live it definitely seems to be the trend to wait until your 30s and I have met many older mums in their 40s at various playgroups.

Back for Good: I think you've got it spot on- stage rather than age. I had DS at 21, no regrets, I had a full-time job, living with bf, secure tenancy etc. I entered uni in mid-twenties and put having a second off until I'd (almost) finished my course so late twenties by then. Sometimes I wish I'd travelled before I had them but generally I'm glad I had my kids relatively young.

I'm in my 40s now and barely anyone I went to school with had children until they were in their 30s. The youngest that I can think of was about 24 or 25ish. But she had already been married for a couple of years so it wasn't a shock.

Younger than 16 should be , because sex is illegal until you're 16. Girls are children and should not be getting pg.

My mother in law had a baby when she was 47 and I do struggle with it. She is often mistaken for his granny and I am mistaken for his mum. She is exhausted now she's over 60 and has a teenager on her hands and he takes up so much of her time she doesn't have much for her other grown up children..

I think between 25-40. I can see that looks like a small window of opportunity, but that is what I see as normal. I think early thirties is perfect.

I have been told i'm too young to have a child and i'm 25.
However, i'm in no position to have a child. It wouldn't be fair for me to have a baby now. I will consider it in my 30's but not before.

It's all about where you are in life. Most people I went to school with are either pregnant, have children and are married/engaged. I'm nowhere near forever single

BackforGood while that might be true in some ways it would be rare for someone aged 20 to be married and own their own home, goals that many people have before having kids.

It annoys me when people say I'm a young mum. I'm 27 with 2 children, I had my first at 22 and don't feel I am 'young' just a normal mum! I want all my children by the time I'm 30. I'd say between 20-40 for having children. I couldn't imagine having kids past 30 though, I'm knackered in my 20's 😴

I wouldn't say 24 is "socially unacceptable" at all! I had 3 by 24, after getting married at 18, and graduating uni at 20, so by the standards of "socially acceptable" I had everything in place. It's more about being settled surely?

I had my first when I was 23 I was called an older mum then, then my second when I was 32 I was a geriatric mum then according to what the nurses had on my file, I am now much older but still shocked when i hear of 14 year old children having babies but it appears the norm in todays society, so who can say what age is best...

I'm mid 30s and still of the 'omg' school of thought when my contemporaries get knocked up.

I had my first at 24 not sure about how 'socially acceptable' that was but it was years later that any of my friends had their first. Was the perfect age for me though. To answer your question I'd say anywhere between 20 and 45 is probably seen as 'socially acceptable' now

When I'm your sister's age, my DD will be 5 and will (hopefully!) have a little brother or sister.

Back home it wouldn't have been particularly shocking (although the fact that it was me would have been shocking anywhere as I was apparently "not that sort of girl", whatever sort of girl that is!). In my circle of friends it was massively massively shocking as we were at university and they thought I'd drop out.

I don't think it's socially unacceptable to have a baby at a young age. It's technically legally unacceptable to have a baby under 16 because of the whole age of consent stuff. I certainly don't think my situation is socially unacceptable. I graduated at 20 with a first class degree and my one year old daughter at the ceremony, so I don't feel too socially unacceptable

I'm 26 and feel far too young to be considering children. But lots of people from school are quite reasonably onto their second children/getting married/getting management jobs. Am still in the midst of education at the moment...

One of my friends from school has a child in junior school now. She's such a lovely mum.

I was 23 and would like to offer a massive fuck off to anyone who would call me socially unacceptable. No, I'm not still 23, I'm a graduate who's always worked fulltime in a decent job and my eldest is in college now. Some people really need to myob

I had my first at 19 in a big city, noone batted an eyelid.
DD2 was born in in a rural town last year not long before my 24th birthday and the youngest mum at any of our local baby groups after me is 29.
In my experience the "socially acceptable age" depends where you live.
That said seriously????? Why can't we support other moms no matter their age instead of judging? I'm glad I had my DD young, it gave me time to recover from her death before trying to conceive again, I wasn't on a biological time limit. If another mom wants to wait then why not, that is her choice, who am I to find it unacceptable? Women go on and on about their rights in society and stopping society looking down on us for our kids, I think the first step in changing that needs to be how we view each other.

So many factors you could consider but for me personally, under 25 seems young. Can't say too young as I definitely think having children youngER has many advantages. I was a first time mum at 35 and for me that was just when I felt ready!

Pregnancy is never "socially unacceptable

Sure it is. If your 12 year old was pregnant, that would be socially (and morally and legally) unacceptable. I would say that being 15/16/17 and pregnant would be socially unacceptable to many as well.

'Not legal to have sex' would be my cut off. Having supported a 15 yo through pregnancy and the first months, I feel that she would have been much better off not to. There are 15 yo who do it brilliantly but I still think it's sad.

Old? I can't talk. DD arrived when I was in my very late 30s. I think I'm a good mum

Of course when I go to the shop with my 15yo client, her baby and my 6yo people think I'm DGM! God knows when they thought the 15 yo started having children.

as long as someone is emotionally mature and physically fit enough with a good support system, go for it.

25 to late 40s. But to be honest 28 is the youngest I know socially. Under 25 seems very young.