What age to have children?

[Jt]

Eulalia,

There is only ever one 'right' time for a baby - when you are ready for it, & only you know that. Stop pannicking. Enjoy life ... if it happens it happens.

By the way I am 35 & my husband is 49, we are expectng twins in November.

[Cl]

I'm sure it's the same for many people but I loved my job and it involved a lot of long hours and travel so there never seemed a right time to stop and have children. In the end my two were born when I was 33 and 36 and I'm glad I left it until then - I don't feel I have any unfulfilled work ambitions and I've had my fair share of exotic holidays. The downside I suppose is that my poor husband's going to be working forever to keep the kids in the manner to which they've already grown accustomed, I'm less inclined to try for the third child I know he'd like because of my age and I'm sure I don't have quite as much energy as I had in my twenties, but I still think it was right for me to wait. If however I'd had problems conceiving like so many of my friends, I might have regretted waiting so long. If you know you want kids and are in a position to go for it I'd try to get started in your early thirties and certainly before 35 to improve your chances of successful treatment if you find you have fertility problems.

[Bon]

I always said I wanted to have children when I was fairly young because I wanted to still be in touch with the youth. Well, in the end I was 31 - perhaps a bit older than I'd anticipated but did still feel youthful. 31 seemed really middle aged when I was in my teens!! I'm pleased I left it till then; I had a ball in my twenties, and it was nice to have such a long period with no responsibilities at the same time I have loads of friends who are my age and still like that and I really don't envy them.

By the time my mother was my age, I was 10 - which seems strange. When I was 21 I had all on looking after my rabbit.

[Donna247]

i had my daughter young.
i had her when i was 19
but im glad