How old were you when you had your first child?

[sleepy]

Didn't come across a thread on this topic.


I delivered my first baby when I was 28.5 years old

We can also discuss the pros & cons of having babies earlier or later.

[tamarind]

sleepy,

I just submitted.

If I could turn back the clock, I should have my first baby at 28 too.

Having babies after 30 or 35 carry a lot of risk, and it is so much more tiring.

My SIL had her first baby at 38, second baby at 39. Her first baby is hyperactive and likes to bite other kids, so she cannot put him in the CC. Her second baby is the kind of baby who must be carried all the time, you can imagine how tired the mommy is. She has to quit her high paying job to stay at home.

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

Delivered at 27. DH several years older than me wants to have a kid before he hit 30. His reason, he wants to run around the park with the kids & still have the stamina to play with them.


At that time, I dont really care. Can be earlier, can be later. But now, years older, I’m glad I have mine early because:

1) My mum who is the main caretaker while I’m at work is not in good health to look after baby. I dont trust a maid to look after a baby.
2) I believe in having more than 1 child. My age will be in the 50s when my younger child completed his education assuming he takes the longest course in university plus NS. I’m hoping my financial burden will be lessen, allowing me to focus on retirement & other social voluntary work.
3) If still in good health, I might have the chance to play with babies again - grandchildren.

[veraclari]

I had my first when i was 24.


Pros - Love the smaller age gap i have with my kids - hopefully more energetic and more \"in-tune\" with the ongoings when they grow up...

Love the fact that they'll be 24 by the time i'm 48!

Cons - deprived of time with some friends since they'll prob. be single then and had more time for other stuff while i need to spend time looking after my kids - which of cause is a blessing!

Financially not easy since my HB and i both are still young... but all will work out...

[luvmum]

I was 29 when I had my 1st child, then 31 when I had my 2nd. If able to hv a 2nd chance, might choose to deliver earlier and married earlier too. I married at 28 actually. Not much stamina and just when your career takes off, now feeling torn having to juggle work and young children. Mum oso in poor health now. :oops:


By the time my children is 21, I'm like 50 oredy... :shock: If she married and hv children at my age too, wow by then near to 60 no energy to look after man.

[MMM]

Got married at 25 and had my 1st child at 27 and my 3rd and supposedly last at 31.


I can only think of the pros as :
1) Younger and more stamina
2) Probably our generation gap is not that bad? I enjoy fighting with them over who gets to play the PSP (mummy is still young at heart).
3) At this moment, I am able to relate to my teenage nieces and nephew to talk about BGR,etc… (I am probably the only auntie who talk to them about such stuff). I hope that I am still able to relate to my kids in 6 yrs time when the eldest goes to P1.
3) When I am 55, my kids are already 28 and youngest 24. They should be working and do not dependent on us anymore
4) If I am lucky to live beyond 70, I am able to see my grandchildren and how my kids progress in life

If I were to turn back the clock, it’s nice to have kids when you are young. On the other hand, you sort of lose the freedom to do many other stuff as well such as work in a foreign country, able to relocate easily due to no commitment,etc… BUT, I think the kids are worth more than those exposure.

[jedamum]

MMM:

2) Probably our generation gap is not that bad?

The other day, my boy made a sign named 'President's Room' and hang it on his grandparent's bedroom door and proclaimed it as his room and he is the president. Then i made a 'President's Mum's Room' sign and hang on my bedroom door and proclaimed that I am still 'bigger' than him. Then he grinned....\"Mummy...why you do kid's stuff huh?\"

[winth]

Got married 1 year after we graduated, like 23.

Delivered my first boy at 25, and my 2nd at 29.

It sure was tough back then as we just started on our career. I had to quit my job and stayed home until I delivered, while we depended on a single income. By choice, I stayed home to look after the baby till he was 1.5 years old before I started my career.

Being a young mother changed my perception of life and it has led me to see the other aspect of happiness.

[MLR]

Got married at 34, delivered at 36.

Now at 38.5, really wished had started much earlier. Don't think can hv another, too old for it. I had an easy pregnancy, cos we were all prepared for a difficult time, but it was easy breezy. No morning sickness, no craving, no aches and pains that i normally had, easy delivery too. The only snag was that I had to be induced at 38 weeks, cos my BP was high. DH couldn't believed how smooth things went, he even suspect some of the things about pregnancy difficulties are just wives trying to get extra attention. :roll:

If I hv a 2nd chance, it would be had 1st child before 30 yrs old.

[pea]

I delivered at 38. Do I take the cake?


Pros :
1. Have some savings from the years of work so I can choose to be SAHM for a few years. Also, easy to return to work as I have many contacts who liked my work and experience and are still asking me when I’m returning to the workforce, not bad in these hard times.

2. Enjoyed about 4 years of married life without kids with my hubby. Even stayed in USA for about 1 year when my hubby was sent there for work, did a lot of backpacking which would have been difficult with a kid.

Cons :
1. Panting to keep up with active toddler.

2. Grandparents hitting 70, too old to help me look after kid.