3 Reasons Not to Start a Family When You’re Too Young

3 Reasons Not to Start a Family When You’re Too Young

What is it with society putting pressure on women to have children when they’re young? It seems as if fertility is still a main indicator of whether a woman has value, something that’s clearly not true whatsoever. A woman should be able to choose when she is ready to start a family, not when society says it is. Even now, there’s this push that being over the age of 35, even 30 in some countries, is considered too old. This is obviously far from the case, but these ideas get into young women’s minds that they should have a child early or else they’re going to be infertile or will at least struggle to have a child once they reach their 30s. 

Though it’s true that fertility declines with age, what really matters is when a woman feels that she’s ready. Before becoming pregnant, it’s best to ask for advice from your doctor about the matter. But it’s about when you feel ready, not when society says you’re running out of time because you’re probably not. Sometimes, starting a family too young can also be not-so-great. So, here are some reasons why you might not want to start a family too young.

• You Might Lack Financial Stability 

Children are expensive, very expensive, more expensive than you might even imagine. Are you worrying about making ends meet? Are you living pay check to pay check right now? Things like this are already stressful, so adding a child on top of it is honestly going to make matters worse. You need to think about their diet, hygiene for them (like nappies, wipes, and skincare products), gifts, clothes for them (that they grow out of very quickly), car seats, prams, school supplies, and the list goes on and on. If you’re struggling now, you’re going to be struggling a lot more if you have a child. What you could do instead, if you’re still not in a super financially viable spot but are starting to worry about fertility, is to look into an egg freezing event to attend and go from there. That way, you won’t feel that pressure or fear, especially if your eggs are frozen, ready and waiting for you.

• It’s a Huge Commitment

While a child can bring so much joy and laughter to your life, it’s a big commitment; it’s not 18 years; it’s for the rest of your life. You’ll most likely deal with more challenges like fewer vacations, less time with friends, and less time you can focus on your career, hobbies, and so on. They say marriage is the biggest commitment in your life, but having a child is definitely the biggest. For a lot of women, they’ll focus on their career first, and whatever it is they’d like to achieve before moving on to starting a family. 

• You’re Not at the Right Stage of Life

A lot of younger women aren’t going to be in the right stage of their life to have a child and give their child everything they want and need. Just think about it, it’s more challenging to get a raise or a promotion in their jobs, maybe you’re wanting to buy a house before having a child, and so on. Is work too demanding for you at the moment? Then it’s best to just wait. More now than ever, it’s taking longer for women to get in into the right stage of life to where they can live comfortably.

Starting a family is not something that should be rushed into and, as you have seen above, there are many reasons to not start a family when you’re too young. Wait until you are in a good, stable place in your life before considering having a baby. It’s a big commitment and an expensive one too. Don’t start worrying about fertility when you’re too young – you will most likely have many more fertile years left.

Contributed Article.