We’ve been together for 8 yrs. Maried for almost 2 yrs, I’m 26. Is it too soon to try for a baby in the next year?

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We’ve traveled to a few places since getting married and have two more trips planned this year. Summer holidays could be too soon but I think I want to start trying next Christmas when I’m almost 27. So if it happens by time I give birth I will be about 28? Is that too early? We have a house that we’re not so happy with size wise and would like to somehow change but it’s not urgent either.

This is just my mind talking. I think recently a lot of people around me have had babies and it seems like a beautiful experience. Difficult at the same time. I was initially thinking another 2 years but now I’m thinking in 1 year.

What’s everyone else’s experience!? And surely you can travel everywhere with kids too specially once they grow up.

Travel with a baby is easy. Travel with anything else is much harder. How does your DH feel about it? I wouldn't say you're too young at all, many people have families by your age.

Ignoring the travel question, do you work and if so, have you worked at your job long enough to qualify for full maternity leave? That's what I planned starting to try for a family around.

Hey OP. How lovely that you are thinking of starting a family. I am 37, it took me a long time to meet my soul mate, my husband. We got married 18 months after we met and bought a house at that time. Four months later, on valentine's day, we discovered I was pregnant. So we had been together just shy of 2 years at that point. Our gorgeous boy was born 18 weeks ago!

It didn't feel too soon at all, we were just both so happy, we feel committed to a future together so didn't question it at all. It felt right for us, which is what you need to ask yourself. What is right for me, not everyone else. We had talked about starting a family and I made sure I qualified for good maternity leave through my job before we started trying. He is also settled in a good job. So we did make sure everything was as safe and secure financially as it could be. We got pregnant the first month of trying.

Being a parent is as you say a beautiful experience. It has it's challenges as well, we are learning as we go and supporting each other as a team. It is the best thing I have ever done.

Do it! You're in a long, loving stable relationship, have your own home. Have had adventures just you and your husband.
It's time!
I've really seen the benefit of having my children in my 20s.

Oh and we've travelled all over the place with our kids. It has its challenges but you adjust and it's great because you see everything through their eyes too.

That is what I am trying to sort out now so by September I should hopefully be in a stable job fingers crossed! I’m a supply teacher currently!

I’m 36 and about to have my second. Whilst in my 20s I didn’t have the security financially, career-wise or in terms of a relationship. I met my DH in my 30s. As a PP said, it moves faster in your 30s and you don’t have the luxury of 8 years with someone to decide whether to in the next two years or so, so I do think if you both want to make it work then you can. Just think about the costs of maternity leave, childcare, would you be entitled to funded hours etc.
From an age perspective I didn’t meet my DH until my 30s and I couldn’t imagine parenting with anyone else, so it is what it is, but if I could have met him and had children in my 20s my god I would’ve! Children are amazing but utterly exhausting and it does get harder the older you get. As much as I like to think of myself as young still (ha!), a late night these days knocks me off kilter for a week, not like my 20s where I’d be out until 3am and still be up for work at 9 the next morning.
Be practical, but if you can do it and you both want it then I would.
As for travel, plenty of people do but it’s not a possibility for us. DD is very hyper, never sleeps, won’t be easily distracted or diverted when she wants (or doesn’t want!) something and genuinely takes two people to wrangle her at times. She won’t sit still for five minutes so a flight is just out of the equation until she’s older. You don’t know the temperament of your child until they are here and can never predict it! We do as much travelling in the UK as we can though and have lovely family holidays in the UK.

I had my DS when I was 27. I thought it was great time, DP and I had our home and secure jobs. We had no issues TTC and a straight forward pregnancy and birth. We were fit and healthy enough to be able to have great fun with DS when he was little. The only con was that no one else my age was having a baby! All the other new mums were either in their teens or mid 30’s so I didn’t really feel like I fitted into either group. I wouldn’t have changed anything though, it was the right age for me

You'll want to have worked for a full year by the time you are in your 15th week of pregnancy (and be prepared to return to work for 13 weeks after mat leave) to qualify for the additional occupational maternity leave and pay as well as the statutory.

We worked backwards from 2 full years when we were trying to be cautious. Then it took longer anyway.

This is very much personal as to what is right for you and your partner. I was another 10 years older when I had DC but this was very much due to circumstances rather than choice.

full year? says 26 weeks before there is 15 weeks left - so yeah I guess your right! If i find a april start job then i should be fine by next summer.