# How old were you when you had your first child? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433 "2005-10-29T05:30:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/41 "2005-10-31T14:28:47Z")
I was 25 with child one, and 27 with child two, my husband was a year older than me. We waited 2 years after marrying to start trying, and got pregnant the first month we tried. Of the 6 girlfriends I have been close to since seventh grade, I had my kids first, and the oldest of us just had her first child last year. At age 47. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/42 "2005-10-31T16:44:09Z")
30, and the missus was 29. I have to say, I’m a little surprised by how young the people in this thread had their kids. When we took our birthing class (this is ten years ago now), I think we were the second-youngest couple there. Everyone else looked to be in their upper 30s or early 40s. Seems like the conventional wisdom is that people are having their babies much later these days. (But of course it’s likely that the people here who mention having babies at 20 did so some years ago.) ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/43 "2005-10-31T17:23:51Z")
I’m currently 35 and pregnant with our first and only. Mr. N. Bunny is 34. I elaborated on the reason for waiting in the [How old is too old to have children?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=342135) thread. > [@Nutty Bunny](#): > > My husband and I have been married for over (I actually typed ‘ever’ instead of ‘over’ - is that Freudian or what?) 5 years. We got married at 29 and, at first, didn’t want to have kids. We didn’t want to ruin a good thing. But a few years ago, we changed our minds. I was too overweight to conceive, after trying for about 8 months, we gave up. I lost weight and 3 months into trying, I’m pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/44 "2005-10-31T17:35:15Z")
I was 28 when she was born. We started trying when I was 24. If we ever want another, it will be through international adoption. That was way too long for me to wait for such an uncertain outcome. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/45 "2005-10-31T18:59:19Z")
I was just barely 17 when HallGirl 1 was born, and just barely 19 when Hallgirl 2 was born. I was 27 when Hallboy made his appearance. The reasons for me having a baby at 17 are too indepth to go into here, but suffice to say I had no clue what I was getting myself into. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/46 "2005-10-31T19:22:24Z")
First child: Mrs. Pagan: 34, me: 38 Second child: Mrs. Pagan: 39, me: 43 We started late because we married late… I was a widower for 8 1/2 years before remarrying and had no kids from the first marriage. Mrs. Pagan just never thought she’d get married in the first place (“Oh, that poor man”, her mother would exclaim…) ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/47 "2005-10-31T19:47:45Z")
I was 26. I hope / plan to have another before I am 30 (I am 28 now). We were married young, just out of college and we wanted a few years to ourselves and to get settled in a little. I am glad we waited, I feel we had a baby at the right time for us. I figure if we have another in the next 2 years then we have time to figure out if we would like a third. I am thinking I would like to be done before I am 35 and I like to have some wiggle room in there. Of course mother nature may have other plans, and at this time if I got pregnant it would be a suprise but not a bad thing. After seeing 2 of my friends go through their troubles with conception and pregnancy I know we are lucky to be able to have children when we choose and I don’t take that for granted. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/48 "2005-10-31T19:54:51Z")
I was effectively 28 (kid born just a few days before my birthday), and my partner was 30. We had him then because, uh, that’s when he decided to sneak into my uterus. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/49 "2005-10-31T20:13:40Z")
I was 32, my wife 30. My first wife didn’t want children, and I remarried at 30. We both wanted a kid, so, after a year of marriage, we decided it was time to try for it. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/50 "2005-10-31T21:00:23Z")
I was 27. My husband was 37. She was the first and only for both of us. ---
**Author:** ![oboelady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8491ac/32.png) [@oboelady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oboelady)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/51 "2005-10-31T21:01:17Z")
> [@PinkShoes](#): > > How old were you or your spouse when you had your first child? What were your reasons for waiting longer or having them earlier than expected? 1st - 20 2nd - 22 3rd - 24 4th - 25 5th - 27 Advantages to having them young - you have a lot of energy and get to do a lot of physical things with them (run, bike, play soccer, basketball, etc) all the way through high school. Advantages to waiting longer - you’ve lived more of life so you know better what to teach them, more financially secure, because of the financial security you can usually travel and show the kids more of the world, frequently the marriage has a better chance of lasting, you’ve had a chance to do things just for yourself, or just you and your spouse. You can’t have it all both ways. I’m very happy with the way we chose. Things have worked out very well. Married 34 years as of yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Lola\_Granola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Lola\_Granola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lola_Granola)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/52 "2005-11-01T03:17:56Z")
1st child, Me 33, him 34. (He keeps screwing it up and saying I’M 34! Thems fighting words fella) We’ve been married 12 years in January. Why so long? I WASN’T READY YET!!! (Caps for my mother-in-law) ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433/53 "2005-11-01T05:41:55Z")
My son was born the day after my 16th birthday. My husband (wtf was I THINKING) was 19 and we were divorced inside of two years. My son is 11 now and as much as I love him and think he’s the most perfect thing evar… I really don’t think I’ll be having another. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-old-were-you-when-you-had-your-first-child/328433.md?page=2)