There is no right time to have kids. However, your age can have an impact on your chances of conception, chances of a successful pregnancy and the type of care you’ll provide your child. For this reason, it is vital to look at the pros and cons.
Here are each of the age groups in which people have kids – and the advantages and downsides in each case.
Under 20
Teen pregnancy is not something that anyone should struggle with. However, mistakes do occur – if you get pregnant at a young age and are not sure whether to continue with the pregnancy, it may be important to weigh some of the pros and cons that come with having a baby under the age of 20.
There are many health risks related to having a baby as a teenager. Preterm birth is more common, as is having a low birth weight baby. Teenage mothers can even experience problems such as high blood pressure and anemia. Because many youths are also mentally unprepared for such responsibilities, postpartum depression also more common.
Teenagers’ parents are often encouraged to get lots of support and pay close attention to their nutrition to increase the chances of a healthy birth. It is much easier to be a young parent when you have a robust family support network willing to offer any financial and emotional support you may need.
Becoming a teen’s parent can affect career goals and can even get in the way of education. However, it is feasible to back to education and later career goals (it is not easy – but many parents of teenagers are able to).
your 20s
Most people are most fertile in their twenties. There are far fewer health risks, including a much lower chance of developing high blood pressure or diabetes. The body is also able to heal more quickly afterwards.
For this reason, it has traditionally been seen as the best age to have kids (biologically speaking, it’s the best age). However, in last few years the age at which people move, have careers and settle down has increased – as a result many new parents in their twenties aren’t as mentally or financially prepared as those in their thirties.
Having a supportive network can help. In fact, this can be an enormous advantage of having kids at a young age – the younger your grandparents are, the easier it’s for them to provide support, plus your child will be capable to enjoy more quality time all year long with their grandparents.
Older people in their twenties also tend to have more energy than those in their thirties and forties. Sleep deprivation during the early years of parenthood can be more easily overcome because young adults can more easily put up with sleep deprivation. Older people in their twenties can still experience fatigue – but usually a few sleepless nights will not do any long-term damage.
your 30s
The thirties are now the age when most people in the western world have their first child. There are many advantages to having kids in your thirties – you have time to enjoy your youth, get an education, and perhaps climb the career ladder. This can lead to more stability (and fewer reliance on grandparents).
The health risks related to pregnancy are also very low and the fertility rate is still high. Those in their twenties usually have a lower chance of having a miscarriage or developing diabetes or high blood pressure, but those who become first-time parents in their thirties may experience greater long-term health benefits such as less aches and pains, and fewer likely. suffering from postpartum depression (having a baby in their thirties is more likely to be planned).
Becoming a parent in your thirties also means your kids will likely grow up and move on when you retire. It can fit into many people’s life plans.
Over 40
Many people fear that they’re borrowing time once they reach their forties and panic can set in. The chances of conception can drop once you reach the age of 35 – and most ladies reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Health risks during pregnancy and childbirth can even increase, both for the mother and the baby.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to overcome this biological problem if you’re determined to become parents. If you are in your twenties and thirties, but do not think you will settle down until you are in your forties, and you are concerned about fertility issues, you might try to find out. egg freezing. Meanwhile, if you’re already in your forties, you can try changing your lifestyle – losing weight, quitting smoking, reducing stress and getting proper nutrition can even increase your chances of getting pregnant in your forties. You can even try looking into IVF. And obviously, there’s at all times adoption if nothing else works.
Becoming a parent later in life can have other downsides – your child may have less time with the grandparents, you may have less energy and you may still provide for your child well into retirement (particularly being pregnant in your fifties). However, there are also many benefits of having kids later in life. You have lived your youth to the full and you have possibly attained a level of economic stability that almost all parents in their twenties and thirties couldn’t reach. Being older and wiser also lets you approach parenthood more maturely.
