Average age of first-time mothers is now 30 - how old were you?

[KateMumsnet]

Hello all

Research published yesterday shows that the average British woman is now having her first child at the age of 30 - and we wondered whether this matches MNers' own experiences. So do share your thoughts - are you bang on average, or under, or over? Does it matter - and would you make the same decision again, given the chance?

27. ? Representativeness of mumsnet population. Who knows!!!

28 but that was in the late 90s

33 and the first of our group to have a baby.

A few days shy of 31, so a delightfully average 30.

32, then 35 and 38 for the other two.

It's worked well for us.

I was 30 and horrified by the "Elderly Primagravida" emblazoned across my notes too.

It's interesting to know that this is now the average age. Are they still labelled as elderly?

I think I would start a little younger if I had my time again but it isn't a big regret.

40 and would like another now I'm 42. Wish me luck!

Another 46 year old geriatric here. A golden egg when all hope was gone.

Just turned 31

two week before I turned 38. Tried to conceive earlier but was diagnosed with Graves Disease and that had to be treated first.

36 - tired but happy

Maternally old was on my notes!! ;)

36 - tired but happy

Maternally old was on my notes!! ;)

I was 40. Didn't meet DH until I was 36, first pregnancy was ectopic and then took nearly 3 years to get pregnant again with only one tube.

Two previous long term relationships broke up because I wanted children and they didn't. So not a choice for me but I do wish that I'd met DH at least a decade earlier.

Pedantic question - I can't find, in any of the main newspaper reports of this - anything specific about 30 being the average age of first baby?
As opposed to the age of a woman giving birth (to any of her children)?
It's implied, but not stated.

And to answer the question, I was 27. I'd probably have been better at it if I'd have waited longer.

Goldmandra if you google, the label geriatric mother is for those over 35. This is because women's fertility is supposed to fall off a cliff once over 35. So you are technically very young!

33. I would have liked children in my 20's but was missing an essential ingredient (man!). From what I've seen having children in your 30's is physically harder (I mean pregnancy and childbirth). However, I think I enjoy having young children more now than I would have done in my 20's, because of maturity (well, a little), and also because of having had more than enough time to travel and do all the other things that are more difficult with children.

(average age at first baby. Not of. Ouch.)

27. One of the youngest both amongst my old friends and New mum friends. Another year may have helped career wise but it has all worked out. Im glad we didn't wait as we had trouble conceiving DC2 but managed to have tests and intervention and still had DC2 just shy of 31.

40 I just wasn't interested in having dcs any younger.

Had my first at 35 and second at 37. May have a third! I spent my 20s travelling and going out and I'm glad I did. Panic set in aged 30 that I might never have children. Luckily I met a wonderful man aged 33 who was also keen for children. We're very happy and I feel lucky not to have 'missed the boat'

29. I was one of the first of my friends to have children, and we live in an affluent area in the south east and I felt very young at the baby groups. But my mum had had 4 children by the same age, so in my head I felt quite old. Its been nicer 2nd time round (at 32 ) as I feel less obviously 'young' (ds has aged me a lot ) . I was married, had a house and a solid career by then so couldnt see any reason to wait.

36 & 38.

My DC are still young. If my circumstances were different, I would had them 5 years earlier because I had better energy then.

I was 23 and mid PhD when I had my first. Then had another two aged 25 and 27. So glad the way it worked out, was tough at the time though. They are 10, 8 and 5 and I am 34 so life is easy all of a sudden. Only one of my uni friends is married and none of them have children yet.

25 but fortunate to have been with my OH since we were 17!

I was 29.

That was quite young among my group of friends. We had all been to university & had careers, and most of them waited until they were in their early 30s.

I wanted to get my family over & done with quickly, so I had another child at 30 and my last one at 33.

My mum was 28 when she had me in the mid-60s, and that was considered old!