At what age did you feel 'ready' to start TTC?

[yellowpolkadots101]

I very much appreciate that a lot of women accidentally fall pregnant / or sadly unable to conceive so it doesn't always go to plan or happen when we 'feel' ready but bare with me!

I am currently 29 and finding myself feeling really broody, especially as quite a few couples of a similar age to myself are now having children or are on to their second. I am beginning to start feeling ready now having been with my partner for 5 years and I have established a good career, however we are currently still saving to buy a house and hope to get married within the next couple of years, so ttc is not going to be on our radar for a good couple of years! I find myself getting jealous seeing other couples having children and also an unerving fear that I will leave it too late and I will have problems conceiving!

It just made me wonder how you felt? And what age did you feel ready to start a family?

I hope this post has come across sensitively as I know everyone is in different situations and life doesnt always pan out the way we want it to!

I had my first at 32, like you I felt ready at 29 but we wanted to be financially stable and have a place of our own first. There are times when I also feel I could’ve waited a bit longer to start too! Especially through the sleepless nights and career stagnation. I think it will be different for every couple and it’s something that happens in its own time, you never know how quickly you might conceive etc. For us early 30s worked out, I would say if it’s something that is important to both you and your partner then prioritise it and how to get yourselves in a situation where you both would be happy to start trying. Good luck!

Married at 24, bought flat shortly after, started ttc at 26, had baby at 28 and moved into our current house when she was 7 weeks old. Most of our friends had babies around age 31.

OP I also felt ready at 29. It was hard waiting but I did I for financial reasons and was 32 when I had DC1. On reflection I now think I rushed into it a bit!

TTC when I was 26 and had DS at 26. I was very lucky to conceive trying first time. Not sure when I will try for DC2 though. DS is only 3 months 😂

I was broody at 29 but wasn’t in a position to ttc until 37. I never felt worried about it though.

Married at 28 decided to start ttc shortly afterwards. Pregnant and miscarriage at 29 then had dd at 30 now almost 32 and just started ttc number 2. This timescale has suited us.

28 - had been with partner for 10 years & just bought a house - 3 years later we split. Everyone is different and takes their own path.

I can’t tell you when I was ready because fell pregnant far before I was ready. Nevertheless, I would say you don’t always have to be in the ‘perfect’ situation before you have a baby. I still enjoy family life just as much. However, given the choice I would always get on the property ladder before having a baby as having a dependent can lower your mortgage offer by around £20k.

Also, most of my friends had their 1st babies at 29 but I was younger

Will be having my first aged 28 and DP 26, we own our own home but did not plan pregnancy. I would have preferred to wait a few years. My mum said, 'youll never feel ready enough for children' and for me that's definitely true!

About 36

24. After I had finished university, travelled a bit and worked a professional job.

It took another 3 years to start ttc as dh did not feel ready then and this was mostly as he wasn’t settled on a career until his late 20s.

I was ready by 26 or 27....married at 28 and took 2 years to conceive dc1.... Born when I was 30.... Dc2 born at 31.....and then I was done.... Shortlived but fine by me

24. I felt broody for the first time ever and just went with it. It was a bit reckless because we were very young and newly out of college. It was the best thing ever though because we are still young now they have grown and have a great life. I think if I had stopped to think about it too much I would have started to have doubts and may never have felt properly ready. Sometimes it is worth taking a gamble.

I felt ready at 22. I had been with my partner for around 18 months when we started TTC. I knew I wanted children with him after about 6 months though.

Didn't have DS until I was 26 as we had fertility issues for 4 years. DS is 18 months and I'm a SAHM.

I would have another now, but wouldn't have any fertility treatment to conceive for a second as for me its too emotionally draining and I wouldn't want to be in that frame of mind as I don't think it's fair on DS.

I was 26 when I started to get really broody, had DD at 27.

Why are you waiting to get married considering you've already been together 5 years? Why waste time?

I felt ready at 27 and we started trying immediately.

We'd bought a house, were financially stable and we were a month away from our wedding.
DH is 9 years older than me and was keen to have children sooner rather than later as well so we were both very much on the same page and feeling ready.

Amazingly, we caught first try. We were so grateful for this (even though my boobs doubled in size and my wedding dress barely closed 😂🙈)

Good luck xx

Felt ready at 28 so started ttc about a year later unfortunately i was infertile but 4 ivfs and 10 years later i had a baby! Think actually for me I am a better parent being older. Good luck !

33. Conceived straightaway. You've got plenty of time.

I never really felt ready but I got to 35 and decided the clock was ticking!

Much younger for me. DH and I haven't really stood still since we met.

22 when we met and moved in together after 6 months.
23 when we were engaged.
24 we were married and 6 months later expecting DC1, after fortunately conceiving straight away.
25 when I gave birth.
26 when we were lucky enough to conceive DC2 straight away again.

I'm 27 now and posting here while my newborn DC refuses to sleep.

So for me things happened earlier and I do worry about how DH and I will be in the future, without the next life goal to aim for. Most of the friends I have made who have similar aged children are in their 30s, so you do have time

Met partner aged 24, always wanted a family one day but only started feeling broody around 31. We wanted to buy a house first, that took a good few years of saving. Intended to start TTC straight away when we moved in, but I was in the middle of a mental health crisis so it was delayed as I couldn't conceive on the drugs I was taking. Eventually had a baby aged 37 and felt as ready as possible.

Most of my friends had their first babies aged around 34/35. I don't think feeling broody and feeling ready are quite the same - I wanted (if possible) to have the stability of owning a home I couldn't be kicked out of and some decent savings to cover maternity leave before TTC.

29 is a good age in terms of being mature but not not an ‘old’ mum but you shouldn’t compare yourself to others on here. It’s definitely sensible to buy a place first and marry. Not sure where you’re from but there’s definitely a difference in my experience from up north (where I’m from) and London + peripheries where house prices are extremely higher. It’s not unusual for my northern mates to have kids mid 20s but much more of a norm for Londoners to start later we’ll into the 30s. Suspect you’ll get different views depending on where the responders are from or now live. You’ve got a while to be worried about being past it though but as I said you need to make your own mind up and don’t listen to others including myself

28. Had been married a year, together 12 years and living together for 5.