Feature Editor
Medically reviewed by Dr Kristy June Dinampo.
Well, let’s talk stage, not age, shall we?
Beyond the birth risks that may accompany getting pregnant in your later thirties and forties, there’s really no target age for getting pregnant so much as there is a preferred situation that you should consider reaching before doing so.
Having and raising children is both exhausting and expensive. You don’t even know what “tired” means until a newborn relies on you.
For your answer, you’d have to consider your priorities.
While there are increased risks associated with pregnancies in women’s later years, with the right care and proactive measures, many babies are successfully born to older mothers. Though fertility issues can arise at any age, fertility begins to significantly decline at the age of 35, so your best opportunity to get pregnant will be any time prior to turning this age.
That being said, if you put off having kids until you’re close to this age, then, as an older mother, you are more likely to have established a fulfilling career to which you can easily return after a (probably paid) maternity leave.
Also, after spending some time at the side lines, watching your friends and family members raise children first, you may find yourself more well-informed and better prepared when it comes to handling potential pregnancy symptoms, infertility, and, eventually, toddler tantrums!
However, chasing after toddlers is quite the work-out, so perhaps you’d prefer to be as young and peppy as possible when your children reach that age.
Some people prefer to get their youth out of their system before they “settle down and have kids”, while others would prefer to be closer in age to their offspring, re-produce as early as possible, and have time to return to the bars way before their favorite songs begin to disappear from the juke box.
It would all depend on how you envision your future.
If you haven’t yet achieved an impressive level of education, and you have the opportunity to do so first, I’d go that route for the time being and save having children for later in your life. Think long-term. It’s this sort of education that will enhance your ability to land a source of income that will support your children. Plus, you might as well put yourself first now because once you have kids, that whole concept is out the window!
If you are in your early 20’s, married early, have a stable income that can support children, and you and your partner are both mentally and physically ready to make the jump, then why not?
If you’re looking for a general recommended target age range, all things considered, I’d shoot for anywhere between 20-35. It’s within this range that you’ve likely finished schooling and got some fun out of your system.
You’re more likely to be married or in a committed relationship that can successfully support children. Your pregnancy would also not qualify as geriatric. You’re also presumably mature and responsible enough to care for children, having probably lived on your own for some time now and having learned from the mistakes you made as a teenager.
At the very least, just make sure you have your own youth out of your system before you go supporting someone else’s.