Age when you had your first child? - page 13

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Morning everyone! I'm doing a paper for development psych (ugh) and was wondering how old most of you were when you had your first child and what you think the best age to start a family is. I... Read More

  1. by trendz80
    Mar 22, '06
    Specialty: 4 year(s) of experience in Home Health, Foster Care ; From: US ; Joined: Oct '04; Posts: 74; Likes: 6
    Hi,

    I was 17 when I got pregnant and had my son at 18. I am now 31.
  2. by ChristinaRN2B05
    Mar 22, '06
    Joined: Nov '05; Posts: 18
    #1 17
    #2 21
    #3 24
    #4 in a couple years
    now 28
    BTW... finished RN school in december and happily married
  3. by HARRN2b
    Mar 22, '06
    Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 411; Likes: 11
    Don't wait too late is my advice. I ended up having to use fertility drugs for my first 2 sons. One is 11 and the other is 8. HOWEVER, I had another little boy 7 years ago with no drugs whatsoever and he was a total suprise. He is just wonderful! I was also almost 39 years old.
  4. by iheartnursing_cali
    Mar 22, '06
    Joined: Feb '06; Posts: 130; Likes: 13
    I was 18 with my first (girl) and 23 with my second (boy). They are four years apart and my two angels :angel2:
  5. by scizzerin
    Mar 22, '06
    Occupation: Hair stylist Joined: Jan '06; Posts: 60
    I was 23 when my daughter was born. I don't really think there is a set "age" when you should have a baby. I guess the same could be said of the age needed to get married. Ha! I had kidney failure as a result of having my daughter, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I was told I'd never have a child, so she is a huge blessing, and it wouldn't have mattered how old I was. If Life was planned, I would have waited until after finishing school.
  6. by TPfan24
    Mar 22, '06
    Joined: Jun '05; Posts: 119; Likes: 62
    First daughter at 23
    Second daughter at 27
    Third daughter at 32
    Fourth daughter at 37
    For me it was easier in my 30's. I had no experience with babies in my 20's. With my first baby it was definitly a learning experience! Now we have these wonderful girls and they are all different and look different!
  7. by HHW2006
    Mar 23, '06
    Occupation: staff rn med-surg icu Specialty: icu ; Joined: Feb '06; Posts: 95; Likes: 3
    First child at age 21, second at age 26. I would have to say that 21 was a little too young. Maybe somewhere around 23 or 24 would be ideal for that first baby.
  8. by ghingerz1208
    Mar 23, '06
    Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 35
    I had my first child when I was 26 y/o. I felt ready at that time. But just like the others said here, I don't think there's a definite age for when you are ready to have one. My husband and I are planning to have our second child before I turn 30
  9. by kmrmom42
    Mar 24, '06
    Occupation: OB Clinical Educator Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 303; Likes: 56
    First at 23
    Second at 24
    Third at 27
    They are now 26, 24 and 22 and I am glad that I did it this way, it worked for us. I watched two of my sisters in law who were much older when they had their first daughters at the same time I had my daughter. They were more stressed and had a harder time fitting a child into their orderly lives. My live hadn't gotten to the point of being orderly yet so a child fit nicely into the comfortable chaos. We had no routines to be disrupted! Of course, those older Moms had some things over me. They had their careers set (mine hadn't even begun) and they had beautiful homes and financial security. We struggled for a while to gain financial stability and the first two kids were 3 and 1 1/2 before we got our house. It was all a wonderful roller coaster ride and if I had it to do over again I wouldn't do anything differently.
  10. by Justhere
    Mar 25, '06
    Occupation: Nursery Nurse Specialty: Different types ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 1,554; Likes: 459
    22 when I had my first
    27 when I had my second
    Going to school now to get my RN and pulling my hair out with my school work and theirs.

    Wish I would have finished my college education first. But at the time never thought about going back to get my RN.
  11. by chicky74
    Mar 25, '06
    Joined: Mar '05; Posts: 8
    my 1st and only one...age 23, i am 32 now
  12. by Selke
    Mar 26, '06
    Joined: May '01; Posts: 551; Likes: 114
    Barely 21 with first daughter, in senior year of college. I was basically a teen mom.

    Second daughter 18 months later. Pregnant with her while graduating from college.

    Miscarriage 2 years after that.

    Tubal ligation 2 years after that ... (aahhh, relief!)

    Then divorce.

    Ideally, one should be finished with school, in a good career, with at least some financial stability, in a stable healthy relationship with a partner who is committed to be there to love and raise the child. This can be any age. These things make it much easier to be a parent and to provide a stable, loving home for a child. Some people wing it with only some of these things.
    Last edit by Selke on Mar 26, '06
  13. by Butterfly3001
    Mar 26, '06
    Joined: Jun '05; Posts: 256; Likes: 11
    OFF TOPIC:

    For people who had kids that are far apart in age, is it hard? I had my son when I was 20, Im 23 now. But I want to be done with nursing school before I have another baby, which god willing, will be 2 years from now.(I finish my prereq this semester and the program starts next fall). I've heard from a lot of people if they're too far apart in age its harder this way and I've always wondered why.

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