What age would you advise your daughter to have children?

[Mog]

There has been so much in the press recently about women leaving it too late and there's a thead on here about young mums getting agro. We can't change our own situations but I wondered what age mners would advise their daughter (fictional or otherwise) to have children?

I dont have a daughter, but if i did- i would be disappointed if she became pregnant before 25.

hester! If anyone can do it, you can!
I'd like dd to have children younger than I did, but if she has any at all that will almost certainly be the case. I will probably spend much of my sixties biting my tongue. It's her choice, but I will be pointedly saying how NEITHER of my grandmas were around for me and how hers were 1) feisty and ancient 2) miserable and ancient

early 20's - but she didn't

I haven't got a daughter but I'd say around 25-26 I think.

I don't know though, I was 28 when I had ds1. I'd been to university and although I was only a few years into my career it was enough time to be successful and established so that now I am able to work freelance for my employer. It worked for me anyway.

I'll tell her to take no notice of anyone who says there's a "right" or "wrong" time to have a baby, and to decide for herself when (and if) she feels ready, and feels that the circumstances are right.

As I have one of each I should point out that I expect to be fighting back the urge to make precisely the same intrusive comments to ds and any luckless partner he brings home...

Oh yes, forgot about grandparents. My children have pretty young grandparents, largely because they were young when they had dh and I! And we were late 20's when we had ours. That's something I'm glad about.

I must admit, when growing up I did like it that I had young parents. My friends parents were proper frumpy mummies and mine was gorgeous! Because were are not that far apart in age, we are still very close. I wouldn't want to be too far apart from my children.

If she was in a stable loving relationship (as they say), I would tell her to go for it, and not to be too afraid of financial or other consequences that might put you off. Age is additional factor to consider, but it isn't the most important, to me.

I'd advise my children to be established in a career and financially independent before they take it on. Girl or boy.
But it's their decision.

DD1 has taken the decision out of my hands; after much discussion with me she has decided not to have children at all as 'you only end up shouting at a toddler'.

Hester, it's just a matter of being postive, you know [ducks and runs]

I decided that too MI! god what happened ...

Mid-twenties. Not too young, but still young enough to have the luxury of time if fertility problems arise.

I'd advise her, or him, to have kids when they were with someone they loved and the time felt right. Secretly though I'd hope they wouldn't have kids before 25.

ooh I dont know

I dont mind really its up to her/him

I'd say about mid twenties, as long as she was in a stable relationship.

It's just so exhausting when you're older. I have aches and pains, and ailments and knackeredness, which I just didn't have ten years ago. And the thought of facing two stroppy teenagers when I'm in the middle of a menopause is quite gruesome. I might go into hibernation when that happens!

I had dd at 25 and the ds's at 30 and 33, wouldn't like her to go much earlier than that, but if she is in a settled rlationship I would be quite thrilled be be a Grandma.

Don't know how I will keep my nose out when i do become one, but thats another thread!!

Physically 25-30 I guess, but there is so much more to it than that isn't there? I had mine at 33 and 36. Personally I was emotionally much more ready then, but physically I could do with being younger. It's more important to be in the right relationship and the right point in your head than anything else and that varies for everyone.

Aren't women biologically speaking supposed to be really at the best age late teens/early 20's? No way was I thinking about babies then, but many younger m/netters on her astound me because they're so together and mature and do brilliantly well.

Also, in retrospect I think that being younger gives you a certain confidence in yourself. I used to think this came with age - it does in some areas of life, but not always motherhood. For me being older mum has often made me ask too many questions and second guess myself. A younger mum will often have the confidence to go with a gut reaction.

Tiny,
I so agree with you about younger mums having more confidence. I had my first in my early twenties and basically just sailed through it, expecting everything with the pregnancy, birth, bringing her up etc to turn out fine (which luckily it did) whereas with my last, born when I was 41, I was much, much more nervous possibly because I knew so much more about what could, potentially, go wrong.
Also when I was younger I didn't give a stuff about what was written in the press and what theories, eg about the benefits of wohm/sahm or disadvantages/advantages of putting child into nursery, and just got on with it. Although to be honest I can't remember people being quite so obsessive about picking over every aspect of child-rearing then.
As to advising my daughter when to have children, I think I would leave it entirely up to her although I do have a sneaking desire to be a 'young' granny

Bump.
For the evening lot

Its quite funny really...My mum spent all my younger years persuading me to not have sex or children then after I was 26 she didnt stop telling me to have a baby!!!!!

27-28

by 30. I was 36 when I had DS last year and I feel about 50 years old now

Late 20's i would say. About 28 ish. Obviously as long as you are ready! That way, you've lived a bit, but are still young enough.

25-30