To think that 29/30 years old is not too old to have a baby?

[itssunnyyay]

So I'm 27, I went to uni from 18-21 then have worked since then and been saving for a house, I live in London so it's quite expensive, I have been with my partner for almost 6 years, we have really focussed on buying a place and we are currently going through the process of buying our first home yay! We want to get married soon (maybe next year) and I'd like to try for a baby when I turn 30, as I think that I will feel more ready then and be better off financially at that point (going to be flat out broke once this sale goes through)

I just listened to Chris Williamson's interview with Jordan Peterson about how more than 50% of women are childless at 30 and how bad this is etc, and how women end up regretting it once they hit 30/35/40 etc etc. And he says that he has watched women throughout his life get to 29 or 30 years old and then be unable to conceive.

I have always wanted to be a mum and I am under no illusion that I have an infinite amount of time, I understand that I have a biological clock and I can't wait around forever, but if I had had a child when I couldn't afford it people like Jordan Peterson would probably say it's irresponsible, life is so expensive now and I have been focusing on other things, but this interview has really made me worry and made me wonder if I'm not making a mistake in waiting until I feel more ready and more financially stable to have a child.. but surely 29/30 years old isn't 'too old', I always thought that anything up to 35 was fairly normal and even 35 to 40 was still achievable, my mum had me when she was 36..
What do you think?

Of my friendship group only one had a baby under 20, one between 20-25, a handful in the 25-30 range, and the majority over the age of 30. We are all university educated and in professional roles.

I wouldn't advise a woman who really wanted children to wait until 35 or 40, but 30 is completely fine and normal!!

I used to watch Jordan Peterson on YouTube until he upset me with his views on only children! He thinks he's an expert on everything. Please ignore him on this topic - 29 / 30 is a great age to have a child and definitely not too old.

I just listened to Chris Williamson's interview with Jordan Peterson about how more than 50% of women are childless at 30 and how bad this is etc, and how women end up regretting it once they hit 30/35/40 etc etc. And he says that he has watched women throughout his life get to 29 or 30 years old and then be unable to conceive

I don't know who either of those people are which ever one is the "he" who said the last line he's talking bollocks. No one expect maybe an infertility doctor could have had that experience imo

Yes, far too old.

Surely that's obvious

Of course it’s not. I don’t think I know anybody who has had kids younger than 30 apart from the older generation. Most people I know started around 35ish.

I'm almost 35 and pregnant with my first. My friend is 39 and just had her first. 29/30 is not too late at all!

Jordan Peterson is a waste of good air. Don't listen to a word that trumped up swamp beast vomits into the world

Women are generally fertile for around 35 years, although admittedly typically conceive easily for "only" about 20 years of that. It's a long old time and every woman's life follows a different course and it's up to her at what point she fits having babies into it, if at all. Some bloke pontificating on what he reckons is a simple theory that covers all the vast possibilities of the female experience of the world can be safely disregarded I think.

@JennyHogon

I had mine between 29 and 33, and would advise my DDs to be younger than that. I became pregnant each time on the first attempt - but there's no guarantee of this, and over 30 is more unpredictable than under 30. So I'd say 30 isn't late, but is 'time to get on with it',

I would agree with this to an extent.

I m started trying at 30, and had to have IVF. Had my one and only at 34.

I wish I’d tried in my 20s, as I’d have loved two children.

I am not a Peterson hater, I think he has some really interesting points and people have a tendency to over-play where he is on the political spectrum. I also think that he serves a purpose - providing guidance to young men who haven't had a father figure. Much of his advice is actually fairly solid (e.g. stand up and look confident, get your own house in order before criticising others, don't apologise if you haven't done something wrong etc). Personally I find him fairly inoffensive though he does talk "at" people for someone who supposedly wants to hear other people's views.

That said I think it is nonsensical to put an arbitrary number on these types of things. Why not 25? 30? 35? 40? Where did he get this magical number? If it is based on evidence and research (e.g. it is the optimal time to have a baby from a biological, social and developmental perspective) then he may have a point. Though I don't think he comes at this in that respect.

He is certainly an odd one though. Take the good bits, remember that everyone has a point of view and its okay if you don't agree :)

Yeah... I had my first at 28 and my second is due when I'll be 31. I am one of the younger mums at DS's nursery.

Agree that if you do have fertility problems it's better to find out sooner rather than later, because the longer timescale can mean you miss the boat. And really you only find out you have problems once you start trying.

Rubbish! I had my 1st baby in my late 20’s. 10 years later gave birth to my 5th child.

I have no idea who this bloke is, but tell him to pop down to my neighbourhood in SW London. Barely anyone has a baby before 30. He sounds like a twat.

I'd ignore Peterson on this. I barely know anyone my age who's had a baby before 30, and a lot of them started families post 35.

The whole 'fertility falls off a cliff at 35' is based on totally outdated data (as in literally centuries old).

I always had 30 in mind as the ideal age to start a family but in fact started at 33. No regrets

Erm, no.

Just had my first. Pregnant at 30, had him at 31. No regrets waiting this long. Could have done it sooner as have been with my husband for 11 years. We wanted to wait so he'll have a good childhood and no money worries. Concieved first try and love being a mum At 31 (early days.. he's 2 months!)

Jordan Peterson's popularity (and lets fact it, he prefers popularity rather than academia) is dependent on him appealing to a large number of men disappointed by their dating lives who want to blame women for their lack of success.

Jordan Peterson apparently knows an awful lot of women who are supposedly disappointed with having a career or who have taken time off to have children or who have supposedly done all sorts of stuff. All of it is based on the narrative that women should go back to being non-earners who marry young so as to make life easier for men. Its not a rational argument and neither is suggesting that medically women are too old at 29 or 30 to have children without difficulty. Women were having kids well into their late forties 150 years ago fgs.

What Jordan Peterson never rambles on about is how many young men are unwilling to settle down into any kind of faithful relationship leading to marriage and therefore women do not want to have children with them and find having a career more of a safer prospect.

Not read the whole thread but I was 32 when I had ds2
He'll is fine!
My mum had me at 39 and that was in the 60s when people did have children earlier ( generally )
Keep well and do what is best for you op
Good luck !

Please don’t take Jordan Peterson’s advice on anything.

Like a PP I had my first at 29 in London and felt very young compared to most other mums at baby groups etc. And I still do now at the school gates.

I was in my 30s when we had DS. Many of my friends have been the same. We tried for years before falling pregnant (not age related btw) but honestly, I think it was best that we were older and more settled

I had my first baby in the same week as my 33rd birthday and I got pregnant first time trying. There were women at my maternity hospital who were having their first in their early 40s. 😳

I’m a crone and don’t even who Jordan Peterson is (but he sounds like dick).

Of course 30 isn’t too old to start a family! Most of my friends, who are professional women, were 30-40 to when they started having kids. I was practically viewed as a child bride in my circle when I had a baby at 27! .

Your 30s is a great time to have babies, especially the first half, when your fertility is still booming AND you are a proper adult who’s lived a little.

Don’t listen to weird blokes on this matter.