Hey there, im 20 and i dont think its a bad idea you just need to have a look where you are and your partner this is something you both have to be ready for. I fall pregnant last year but lost it in march and it really hurt my relationship not in a bad way but i was blaming myself for what happened and took it out on my partner. I am now pregnant again but only about 6weeks so not getting excitied about. You can only make the choice its not how anyone else feels about it because everyone is different.

All the best lisa

I always wanted to have children young.  I guess maybe so I wouldn't seem so old to them?  I had my first daughter when I was 27.  I think it all depends on where you are at in your life.  I know people who had children in their teens then when they got into their 20's and their friends were out hanging out having fun they started to resent the child.  I also know some that having children young has been a true blessing...so go but where you see your life going, what things you want to accomplish either before or after having children.

these are the things i considered before having a baby

1 can we afford it?

at the time we thought sure! we are both working, i could get maternity leave, we have plenty of money! about 5 months pregnant the company we both worked for went bust and closed down, leaving us both jobless, and me without a hope of getting a new one before bub arrived. the best advice i can give is to save as much as you can before bub arrives

2 can we cope?

babies need a LOT of attention, for the first few months they feed every 3 hours, all through the night as well, and need changing just as frequently. the best thing to do is find someone who will let you 'borrow' their kid for a few days, or even just over night, to let you get a taste of what to expect

one thing i did that helped enourmously was buy a 3 month supply of frozen dinners and easy food, and i was sooo glad i did

3 can we accept the change in lifestyle?

if you're a partying socialite, forget kids for a while lol. even if you do find someone to babysit, there's no guarantee your baby will cooperate. some babies are clingy to the point where only mummy or daddy can touch them

and the cleaning.is.endless. suddenly you're washing clothes every day, washing dishes every day, vacuuming mopping and dusting every day is a must if your child has allergies

you'll be pulling bits of paper and dead flies out of their mouth, dirt encrusted fingers splash around in your coffee when your on the loo, every day is dedicated to chasing after them, making sure they don't chew on the toilet brush, get into the bin or break their tiny nose on the coffee table. and babies learn very fast, my girl is 7 months and can open every cupboard and drawer in the house, she knows the remote controls the tv and she knows if she screams loudly [often for no reason] someone always comes running

then theres your love life, which for the first few weeks is non existent, and after that is slow, can your relationship handle it? at that age when hormones are so rampant, it can be hard to cope

4 when you picture family life, what do you see?

old or young? rich or comfortable? a house, a big family car and a dog? its best to figure out what you want for family life and work on getting everything else before getting the kids

do you want to work, or be a stay at home mum? full time or part time? sometimes its better to get your dream job before you have a baby, as most places offer maternity leave. and its best to prepare for multiple outcomes, if you decide before baby that you'll go back into the workforce, then decide after baby that you couldn't handle it, you need to be prepared to live on a single income

theres probably a million other things to consider, but i found these to be most important

I have a fw things I think you should check into before you jump in.

1. Have some tests done for Rubela, hep b&c, HIV, blood count and grouping and anything else the doctor feels you might need.
2. Get a general check up and explain to hte doc your reason for doing so. Better to find out now that there is something wrong then while you are pregnant and they have trouble treating you.
3. Talk to your family and his about health problems. Heart disease, diabetes, cleft palette, any other abnormalities that children have been born wiht that have come up later.
4. Are your parents and or his willing to support your decision? If not then it makes it harder on you when bub comes along or when you run across something in your pregnancy that you dont understand.

If you check off all these things and you know what you are up for then do what you both feel best. It is not anyone elses decision but I do wish you luck in your endeavour.

well my bub was born the day before my 22nd birthday and now iam 25 with 2 wonderfull boys i like the idea of being young mum at least you have the energy to keep up with them and you grow with them. As long as u have a suportive partner the i say go for it

This is a tough and very individual question.  I wanted to have children young and waited until I was 32.  I am glad that I did because I am more patient, more mature and have time, as well as being in a financial position where I dont need to return to work.  Look at your life style and see if a baby would fit in.  Ask yourselves some questions, do we have time, do we have money, are we ready, are we willing to make some sacrifices.  I wish you well in the future.

Like many have said in their answers, there really isn't a certain perfect time for a baby, especially if you are mature and are in a steady/permanent relationship.  I had my first baby at 27, and its the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. I thought that being a teacher and 27yr old, was bound to make it a much easier experience given my maturity and all, but nothing can truly prepare you for what's to come: sleepless nights, sickness, not being able to do what others your age are doing...these are all the joys that come with parenting and you should consider the situation carefully.  I feel that i made the right choice to become a mum at this age. Having enjoyed my teen years and followed the career/vocation path of my choice, I was ready to give up a lot of freedoms.  I think a young woman should first feel confident, educated, empowered and accomplished, before commiting to motherhood, otherwise there will be a time when you wonder what it might have been like to reach your full potential as an individual.  The above self fulfilments will strengthen and prepare you as an individual for the challenges of parenting.  Having a baby is the most rewarding experience, but it also demands your all.  All the best with the decision you make.

Hi Littlemiss,

First of all thankyou for aknowledging myself and all the other mums in here, that in itself is a great sign of maturity, the ability to think of someone else is crucial to being amum and thats a great indication that you would make a fabulous one. I was 18 turning 19 when I fell pregnant with Tay, my oldest daughter, and her dad was 20 turning 21 at the time. I have to admit that in the beginning it was tuff, she didnt have a smooth beginning into the world and was born via emergency c-section, i probably wasnt emotionally ready to deal with something so very intense at the time, but believe it or not, a large percentage of us adapt to what we need to to cope.

I guess for the first couple of months, you dont want to be away from the baby, but at the same time it seems that everyone else your age is going out and having fun and you are stuck at home with the bub. In the beginning its cool because you are so focussed on how wonderful this new little person is that you dont care about going out. But then lack of sleep kicks in and you feel like you just need a break but emotionally now, you cannot be away from the baby!!

Overall, when you have a new bub, theres so many emotions and so many different ways that you can approach parenthood. Some will cope extraordinarily and some feel like they arent coping at all, its not age specific and can happen whether you are 18 or 31. Technically speaking, the body is designed to cope alot better with pregnancy at a young age, back in the days that the average age expectancy was in the 40's you were old age!! Now with technology we can relatively safely have children for a much longer period of time in our lives and our choices are our own.

If you have a partner that is emotionally ready for a baby aswell, and supportive, then that will help you in your choices. I'm now 31 with 9 children (6 of my own and 3 step children-to-be) we have a large family and although I did go through a divorce with my 6 childrens father about 4 years ago, I wouldnt change it for the world.. To be honest I am glad that I arent dealing with the problems that I am currently having with my 12yo in my 40's or 50's because then I think I would just like to be doing my own thing. My partner and I have our oldest kids are 12 (he has a boy 12 and 2 girls 11,9) now that our children are getting older and we are still young, we look forward to be able to travel and do our own thing in the next few years and its a nice feeling to have family aswell as the ability to plan these things in the not so distant future.

I hope that your research turns up some advice that helps you in your journey.

Cheers from Mel xx

i dont think that there should be an age limit on  these things

i always wants to be a younge (ish) mum like my mum

i'm very close 2 my mum and i think that it may be partlt because she is still so younge

mum had my brother when she was 20 and me @ 22 and we are both very close with her

i had my son 12 days before i turned 22 and i love it

i think the main thing is that u r both ready for it, you dont want 2 have a baby with someone whos not ready as it will put more unnessecary stress on the realationship

anyway good luck motherhood is wonderful, stressfull, frustrating and beautiful and very excitin

good luck if its what you both really want and dont worry bout what other ppl think its your choice!!!

I am 24 and am expecting my 2nd little boy in just over a month, like anything there are pro's and cons to having kids young and older.

Pros for having kids young

• When you retire you probably won't have the kids at home anymore.
• You can still have a decent career without interruption
• You grow with the kids

Pros for having them older

• You can still go out when your young
• You have more life experience
• Your friends more likely have kids around the same age so you can share experiences

There are probably more but right now I can't think of anymore, but whichever you decide just make sure you are ready it is a big step to parenthood. You could probably talk to your parents and ask about there experience's as older parents and then talk to your partners parents and ask them the same thing and compare notes to see which would suit your lifestyle better.

If you and your partner are both ready and have a solid foundation go for it. There is no age limit on being a good mum. I know a girl I used to work with who was pregnant at 15 years old!! She kept the baby (little girl) and is an absolutely great mum. She does get some stares and some negative comments but those people need to keep their noses in their own backyard. They have no idea how good she is (and still studying/working too!). I was pregnant with my son when I was 21. My mum had me when she was 19 and she was married, so I had her constantly on my back asking me when I was going to give her a grandchild lol I took the adult approach and said "when you stop nagging!" =p