The best age to start a family is 34

[Tinker]

It says here

What do you think?

I had dd at 37 and ds at 41. Not really by choice but the way it worked out and I'm pretty happy with the result. I certainly don't feel I'm neurotic.
On the other hand my mum had us at 19 and 20 and she was a great mum so clearly anything can work if the individual circumstyances are right.

what do 'experts' know if I'd waited that long I'd have ended up with one child - I menopaused at 36! (thank you expert!)

My mum was almost 40 when she had me ( I was the last of 6 children),and she was a fantastic mum. Sadly she died of ovarian cancer at the age of 58. I admit I sometimes worry about being an older mum for this reason. I want to see my daughter go to college, get married etc (if she so chooses).It hurt that mum wasn't there for my wedding and to see my little girl. I know a younger mum can also get ill but it is more likely when you are older.

Well, I think it's pretty spot-on. Purely because I was 34 when I had ds. If I'd been any older or younger, it would have been drivel .

I'll be 36 when I have my 1st in November. Just wondering why they're assuming that because I'm having one baby, I'm going to want to pop out a few more? Thought we'd done away with the "heir and spare" mindset.
(not saying I DON'T want more than one of course) [grin}

Good luck to you Iklboo!

They didn't say what age the father should be!

Had mine at 29, 31, 32 and 39 (surprise). I don't feel old and past it, and although I did lots of travel before no 1 still manage to get some done now. Dd at 15 months has visited 12 countries and currently lives abroad. I went skiing for the first time this year and am more flexible, relaxed, and yes, more financially sorted than some of my friends. I never felt tired when baby 4 was tiny - I still smile when she wakes up in the night. And I think she's more laid back because we are relaxed parents. If I'd started earlier I'd have 11 by now!!

Cruncie - In my experience pediatricians doing ward rounds are quite happy to whisk through the wards in the minimum time ( a human trait) and therefore perhaps prefer it if parents don't ask many questions. I would guess that older mums might be more confident and challenging at asking questions and therefore have been labelled neurotic just because they make life a bit more difficult.
Realise we're talking generalisations here but certainly found they would be quite happy to move on and you had to be quite forceful to have a situation explained fully.

I don't think you can always choose when to have children. I didn't meet dh until I was 32 & he was dead against getting married again and/or having any (more) children. I had dd at 37 & ds at 40. I definitely do NOT have the energy to go through another pg at 42. I'm still reeling from ds! I should show this to my sister, who's 33, lives alone with her cat & her laptop & has never had a boyfriend, as far as I know. She desperately wants children. She'd better get busy!

Asolutely. I was married to dh for 7 years before he finally decided he did want to have children after all. It then took over a year for us to concieve which ended in miscarriage, and then another 6 months to concieve our dd.