Is 26 too early to start a family?
Not only is there a celebrity baby boom this year, but more younger couples are opting to start a family, and now new research has revealed that 26-years-old is deemed the perfect age for UK couples to have a baby
A new study of 2,000 parents shows that mums and dads are completely agreed that the mid-twenties is the point in life when young couples should start a family.
A third of parents claim that having children at a younger age meant they could have a bigger family, while a fifth felt they will have more in common with their children, reported the Seven Seas Pregnancy whitepaper.
Claire Halsey, Clinical Psychologist and contributor to the Seven Seas Pregnancy whitepaper, said: “The results of this survey are quite surprising, as we would have expected parents to think the perfect age to start a family to be late twenties to early thirties, as opposed to mid-twenties.”
Contrary to popular belief younger women are planning a family after just a few years of working rather than waiting to establish a career, going travelling or spending time on hobbies.
A further quarter of mums and dads wanted to start trying for a baby earlier, as they weren’t sure how long it would take to conceive.
Owning a house and getting married were the two key milestones most parents wanted to have reached before having children, while six in 10 parents were happy to be earning a collective wage of just £25,000 a year before settling down to have a family.
But couples were happy to wait for achievements such as gaining a promotion, travelling the world, being established in their career or owning a fancy car.
Claire added: “Contrary to popular belief younger women are planning a family after just a few years of working rather than waiting to establish a career, going travelling or spending time on hobbies.
“Perhaps there is a realisation that as the recession affects work prospects, planning for a family can come first and career later.”
The report also questioned 2000 people who do not have any children about their plans to have a family.
While one in 20 claimed they never wanted to have children, the average age at which to have a child, across the rest of the respondents, was 28-years-old.
So despite two thirds of people without children wanting to have achieved something in life before starting a family, most reckon they will have done this before hitting the ripe old age of 30.
As well as wanting to have a house and marriage sorted, half of those polled want to earn a decent amount of money, while 47 per cent want job security.
Four in 10 people would like to have savings in the bank before settling down with kids, and 26 per cent want to have enjoyed lots of holidays.
Childless couples also want to make a number of preparations before starting a family but financial stability outweighs pre-conceptual health planning – six in 10 want to save money for months in advance, while a fifth would take folic acid, vitamins and supplements.
Despite government recommendations, 85 per cent of mums and pregnant women didn’t take a conception supplement containing folic acid, omega-3 and vitamin D during their pregnancy.
Adopting a healthier attitude to life was a big concern – just under half of those polled want to eat healthier food, a quarter would take up more exercise and the same percentage would like to lose weight.
Dr Emma Derbyshire, Nutritionist and contributor to the Seven Seas Pregnancy whitepaper, said: “It’s disappointing to see that NHS recommendations are still not being followed even when pregnancies are planned.
“Data shows that up to 72 per cent of neural tube defects (when the baby’s spinal cord does not close properly) could be prevented if all women took folic acid as recommended.”
Of those mums who have had children, a fifth admitted they were initially worried that they weren’t healthy enough to start a family.
And of the six in 10 mums who planned their conception, one in 10 stopped smoking, and 23 per cent make healthier food choices and cut down on alcohol.
What do you think is the perfect age to start a family? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK