The Truth Behind Having A Baby In Your 20s
The best thing you can do is prepare yourself.
George Rudy / shutterstock By Shyanne Kollefrath
Your twenties come with some major changes. You are going to school, starting a career, building your relationships, moving out, and basically doing everything else you need to in order to make a life for yourself.
One thing I always question is, should I have a child young? The answer definitely isn’t the same for everyone. Everyone has their own reason for their decision, whether it was voluntary or not.
Regardless, if this is something you and your significant other are seriously thinking about, then here are some pros and cons for having a child in your twenties that you should keep in mind.
Pros of having a baby in your 20s
1. Biological clock
If you are worried about your ability to conceive, the earlier you can start trying, the better. As time goes on, your chances of conceiving go down. Your biological clock doesn’t stop, unfortunately.
2. Risk
There is a much lower risk for miscarriage with young pregnancies. The risk for defects and abnormalities also are significantly lower compared to those who choose to have children later in life.
It seems that the younger you are, the better the chance for a healthy pregnancy.
3. More energy
Honestly, most 20-year-olds can go and go like the energizer bunny. This can come in very useful when having a child.
Waking up in the middle of the night, and running around chasing a child is much easier in your 20s compared to later in life.
Cons of having a baby in your 20s
1. Finances
Generally, your finances are not the best when you are in your 20s. You are either spending money, drinking and partying, or spending it trying to be a responsible adult who pays bills.
Regardless, you probably don’t have spare funds hanging around to take care of another human being.
2. Freedom
With a child comes a lot of responsibility. No more leaving whenever you please, with no notice. Everything you do now has to be planned out or your child must come with you.
You have to find babysitters or make sure everywhere you go is appropriate for a child, too. Spontaneity is not your friend.
3. Emotions
Overall, you are emotionally a completely different person as you get older (or so I hear). So, emotionally, you should be much stronger to handle what life has to throw at you. Not to mention the additional wisdom that comes with age.
Regardless of when you decide to have a child, there are going to be pros and cons. Honestly, it all depends on you and what you expect from pregnancy and parenthood.
Other factors that come into play when deciding to have a child include: Are you in a relationship? Does your partner want a child? Are you physically ready for everything that pregnancy is going to throw at you?
If you answer no to any of these, now is probably not the best time to have a child. The best thing you can do is prepare yourself, so that in the future you can possibly make the decision responsibly.
Shyanne Kollefrath is a writer whose work has appeared in Unwritten, Huffington Post, and more. Her writing focuses primarily on relationships, health and wellness, and parenting topics. Visit her author profile on Unwritten for more of her content.