Appropriate age to get pregnant?
By aralsten6245
@aralsten6245 (25)
United States
June 29, 2007 10:04am CST
As a mother of one child, I gave birth when I was 19 years old. Although I wouldn't recommend it for most, I highly love the fact that I had my son at a young age. Most people don't agree with teenagers having babies. Often we hear the phrase "babies having babies" and I want to know what people think the right age or age range is to have a baby, why they think that, and what we as a society need to promote to fit that type of birth age.
3 people like this
4 responses
@us2owls (1681)
• United States
29 Jun 07
I was just turned 22 when I had my first one - 4 years later I had my second one. I had said that I would have all the children I was going to have before age 30. My third and last child was born in December and I had turned 28 in May. Two of my daughters had their first child when they were 18. They are both in my opinion very good Mothers. I think it depends a lot on the person and how their childhood was. I don't like to see people who are too old having kids. I wonder at times if these people consider they might not live long enough to raise the chldren to adulthood.
@aralsten6245 (25)
• United States
29 Jun 07
I have to agree! It is often disturbing to see mothers in their 50's and up having a child! No more! I think that is just too old to be having a baby. It's hard on the mother and it's hard on the child.
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
29 Jun 07
I don't think there's a right age for everyone. People are ready at different times. I had my son when I was 25 years old, and I know I wouldn't have been ready before that, but I had a lot of issues of my own that I was working on.
I do know people who have been excellent parents that had kids young, and people who have been horrible parents that have had kids later. So I don't think you can really say that age has a lot to do with it.
Having said that, I do think that people should be at least out of high school first if possible. I knew a lot of girls growing up in Kentucky that had kids while in school, and they weren't anywhere near ready. Many of them wound up not finishing school, or not being proper parents to their children because they were still caught up doing kid things themselves.
@aralsten6245 (25)
• United States
29 Jun 07
An excellent point on the high school thing. But I have watch alot of young people make it thru high school even though they were pregnant. Not that this speaks highly of my graduating class, but we had 22 girls graduate who were pregnant (and showing) out of 699 students. We only lost 4 girls that year who dropped out because of pregnancy. But I know this is not always the case. One thing my alma mater provides is an alternative school for pregnant girls (and the fathers too). This helps keep the graduation rate up! Either way, an excellent point in my opinion!
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
29 Jun 07
I think it's awesome that so many girls in your class did well for themselves in that way! It was the opposite in mine, even though our school had a day care that helped out some. It just seemed like most of the girls didn't care anymore once they got pregnant. I think part of that has to do with the culture where I grew up though, very redneck. That's why I don't live there anymore! =p
I think it's great when young people who get pregnant do manage to keep their lives on track and become excellent parents. I have a lot of respect for people in that situation. =)
@castleghost (1304)
• United States
29 Jun 07
To be honest with you I don't think that there is any one set age that is ideal. A person should become a parent when they are able to take care of a child emotionally, physically, and yes I will say it finacially. I don't believe that a person should rely on public assistance to have a child. I was eighteen when my wife gave birth to my first son but I covered all of the medical cost for him to be born. I worked to make sure that we had insurance and money to pay the bills. At no point did we rely on the system to help us out. Like you, I enjoyed having my children at a young age because I feel that it made it easier for me to see things their way. I was able to relate to what they were going through better.
