What Is the Ideal Age to Get Pregnant?

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Women are gifted to bring life into the world. They are one of the most amazing creatures ever alive to do so. Giving birth is not a joke. It requires effort, time, and almost all of a woman's life to bear a child. However, getting pregnant can be rough.

While a woman can get pregnant whenever she wants and whenever she is ready, the fact that the clock is ticking cannot be ignored. Women are already fertile before the age of 20, but it is not ideal for women to discuss pregnancy and parenting before this age. There are also women who are in their 30s who are not yet ready to have a baby. With this, experts and moms alike would conclude that there is no perfect age to have a baby and will only depend on how ready you are for this chapter in your life. 

Getting pregnant at an early age, regardless if you plan it or not, can take more of your young, care-free life than you thought. The younger you get pregnant, the fewer resources and money you have to raise your child. However, the advantage of this is if you are earlier in your career, you can enjoy benefits such as maternity leave and some vacation leave for your little ones. If you get pregnant at an older age, you may have enough money to raise a child, but it will also cost you not only financially, but your health will be at stake since pregnancies for older women tend to be more risky compared to younger women. Also, at that age, you will find yourself inbetween caring for your aging parents and raising your children. Thus, deciding the right age for you to get pregnant is something very important to think about. 

The best factor you can consider when getting pregnant is asking yourself these questions: are you physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially ready and capable to have, and take care of, a baby? Are you ready to face this challenging chapter of your life? Because if you fail to answer yes to these questions, then you are simply not ready for this phase yet. 

To know more about the right age for women to have a baby, let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each age range. 

• Before 20 years old. Most people would say this is not the best age to get pregnant. You are still young and can reach more boundaries than you can imagine at this age. However, we can't deny that at this age stage this is the most fertile point of a woman. Younger women also tend to be more emotionally imbalanced, and this is a huge factor that could contribute to your pregnancy. Pregnancy and parenting is very stressful and could be a little frustrating at times, especially when you're not ready for it.

• Ages 20-29. At this age, women are still fertile, however, the dilemma for women aging 20-24 is their financial status and their careers. Some might just be got off from college or still starting to build up their career, so having a baby might not be a good idea if that's the case. However, if you started early in your career, you might be ready for it.

• The early 30s to 40s. Some women at this age stage may be experiencing a hard time getting pregnant because the fertility might tone down, but it's not for everyone. Women at this age might probably be ready in all aspects, but you also have to consider how many kids are you planning to have, considering your age.