When is the best time to have a baby – 20s, 30s or 40s?

What is the best age to have a child? Should you have children in your 20s while you are full of life or opt for the 30s, when stability is in sight? Or  should you join the growing list of men and women who are leaving it for their 40s to first nurture their relationships and careers? The truth is that there is no such a thing as the best age to conceive, carry, give birth to and rear babies. There are advantages and disadvantages to all possible ages and circumstances, therefore making a decision about the correct age is a personal one. We weigh the pros and cons of having babies in your 20s, 30s and 40s.

Babies in your 20s

Although you are at your fertility peak and reproductive readiness, in your 20s you lack caution, reason and wisdom unfortunately. The benefits of having a baby in your 20s ,though, is that your body is a lot stronger, you likely to have a clean bill of health, you have a better quality of eggs and recovery after birth is quick. You are young at heart and still in touch with your playfulness, which can be a valuable parenting skill and make the task of raising your child a lot lighter. An added advantage, is that when your babies are all grown up, you are mostly still in good health and have the energy to enjoy life with them in the picture. On the downside, you are not financially stable and the costs of raising a child may cut deep in your pocket as you try to find your feet. Money problems can lead to an array of insecurities and tensions and this certainly doesn’t make parenting any easier.

Babies in your 30s

Many women are putting having on hold in their 20s and are having babies in their 30s. Not only are they putting it off for their early 30s, but waiting for around 35 and the debate is about the safety and risk in pregnancy at an older age. The risk, is that there may be genetic problems as the years go by. Many men and women want greater financial and emotional security before embarking on the responsibility of parenthood and in your 30s, circumstances are better, even if there are slight challenges financially. There are likely to be more money issues than in the 40s and because career building is still high on the agenda, material wealth is likely to be a potential stressor. Research, though, shows that when first pregnancies occur in the 30s, there are often higher standards of education and improved socio-economic status, both of which are linked to healthier pregnancies and babies. Emotionally, a person is more mature and able to deal with the ups and downs of parenting ,you are much more settled and you understand your own personality far better.

Babies in your 40s

Nowadays, it is frequently a conscious option to start a family close to or in the 40s, giving birth to what is called a “late lammetjie”. Some women and their partners want to live their younger lives free from the demands of parenthood.  But the down side is that health generally declines as a person gets older and conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure in pregnancy worry more women after the age of 40 years. Other circulatory problems like varicose veins and blood clots are also slightly more likely. Babies born to older mothers are often smaller due to such health problems and this can make their start in life more difficult. Screening tests are compulsory, especially for Down syndrome, because it is highly likely to get a child with the condition at this age. As a woman becomes older, the quality of the eggs deteriorates and this might trigger more miscarriages. With good pregnancy care and the mother doing all she can to live healthily, both before and during pregnancy, these problems can be minimised and mostly easily treated.