to ask if anyone has met their partner later on in life and had a family?

[bewilderd]

I'm only 29, but I'm single and would love to meet someone and have children. I'm not desperate and won't just settle with someone for this reason alone, however I'm nearly 30 and feel time is ticking.

Has anyone here not met their partners until their 30s and gone on to have a family?

@SecretWitch

I was married for the first time at 25 but chose not to have my children until ages 32 and 34.

I became pregnant again at 42 and married my child’s husband when I was 43..

I hope he wasn't really your child's husband...

I came out of a 10 year relationship when I was 27. It took me a while to get over that and I wasn’t looking for anything. Met my now husband in the pub on my 3th bday. Married at 31, baby at 32. Twins at 35 and I was pregnant again at 39 but had a late miscarriage.

Met at 36, married at 38, one child at 40.

Yes.
Met DH when I was 34, had DD at 36.
Got married a few years later.

@JassyRadlett

You might be surprised at how timeframes can compress with the right person.

I met DH when I was 29. By my 34th birthday we were married, owned a flat and had a baby.

This.

Years wasted with the wrong person. Bosh. Job done with the right one.

Met at 39, bought house together at 40, had baby at just before 41, married at 41. Now been together over 6 years and still going strong.

Met DH at 30, had baby at 32. I am still 32 and we are discussing having another baby soon :)

Wait, no, I'm 31. Getting ahead of myself there.

Met my husband when I was 29, engaged by 30, moved in at 31, married at 32 and first baby is due next week (I'm now 33) lol I'm glad I met DH when I did. Had an amazing 20s, felt right and ready when we met you have plenty of time

I also thought I’d be single and childless. Then met DH at 33, first baby aged 35, second aged 38 and third aged 41. Very thankful

Met DH at 34, married at 36. DS was born when I was 37 and DD when I was 39.

Blimey at 29 I then met, married and divorced exh then met and had two kids with.m current dp. It’s amazing what you can achieve in a few years!

Got together with DH when I was 31, married at 34. I'm now 40 and we have three children together.

29 is no age!

Married at 41, babies at 42 and 44. Maybe a bit unusual but it honestly can happen!

Met DH at 42, he was 39. Got pregnant but miscarried at 15 weeks. Very traumatic. Married and fostered SN child with mild LD of 5. Now he is 14, same age our child would have been. He is a sports superstar. We could not be prouder of him and he feels like our own.

Not me but my best friend, had her two at 42 and 44, she's now married to their dad.

It might not take 10 years OP! I met my dh in the July, married the following October and was pregnant the following year. 3.5 years from meeting to having the baby. And 4 years later we had another 2 children. So within 8 years we met, married and had 3 babies.

Hi OP,

I sound so patronising but you sound EXACTLY how I did a few years ago! Met my husband aged 29, married at 32. Expecting at 33. He is 38. We are so glad we weren't married with kids in our 20s. We've had more of a chance to save money, go on amazing holidays, and also learn parenting skills from our friends! 29 is such an attractive age. You know what you want in a partner and what you don't want and you might find when you meet The One you'll settle down quickly. It's an exciting time. A lot of my friends wished they'd waited to settle down.

My friend met her now husband at 37, got on like a house on fire. Second date he brought up the subject of children because he said there was no point continuing if they weren't on the same page as they were both older, a year later she was pregnant then another baby 2 years after then they got married!

I met mine at 37 and had Dd just before I turned 40, still together 17 years later.

met at 31, married at 32, had 3 dc at 35, 37, and 40.

Just wanted to thank you all for posting all of your experiences. I am 32 and although I have a DH we haven’t had DC yet but our families are putting huge pressures on us and suggesting I need to get a move on. We want kids but want to have the security of buying our own property first (been at the mercy of difficult landlords who decide to drastically increase rent or decide to sell for the last few years). We were on track to buy this year and had started the process but then Covid happened and now we are struggling to get a mortgage with our 10% deposit.

It’s honestly very helpful to hear about people happily having DC in their mid and late 30s/early 40s. Although logically I know I still have time our families can really get to us with their pressure and fear mongering and hearing about actual people who waited a bit longer. Sorry to hijack your thread OP but it’s been really nice for me to read.

@Sparklesocks

Just wanted to thank you all for posting all of your experiences. I am 32 and although I have a DH we haven’t had DC yet but our families are putting huge pressures on us and suggesting I need to get a move on. We want kids but want to have the security of buying our own property first (been at the mercy of difficult landlords who decide to drastically increase rent or decide to sell for the last few years). We were on track to buy this year and had started the process but then Covid happened and now we are struggling to get a mortgage with our 10% deposit.

It’s honestly very helpful to hear about people happily having DC in their mid and late 30s/early 40s. Although logically I know I still have time our families can really get to us with their pressure and fear mongering and hearing about actual people who waited a bit longer. Sorry to hijack your thread OP but it’s been really nice for me to read.

I met dh when I was 31, and we did wait a couple of years before having dc, due to circumstances.

But honestly? At 32 I wouldn't be planning on waiting long if I were you. Started to try for a family in your late 30 and 40 is not a great idea.
While there are pletny of success stories, there are equally as many stories about infertility and time running out.
In my case I have 3 beautiful dc. I also had 4 miscarriages in the process. My saving grace was that I always got pregnant very quickly, so I had a lot of chances.

Don't wait too long.

@steppemum not to worry I’m very aware, it’s hard not to be when most conversations with your mother and MIL end in that exact sentiment!