The best age for a career-focused woman to have a baby - Women's Agenda

The best age for a career-focused woman to have a baby

I was recently asked the question: what’s the best age to have a baby if you also want a long and rewarding career? The twenty-something woman who posed that question was quite serious and seeking a genuine response.

The only way I can possibly even attempt to answer that question is by providing real-life examples. It would be difficult and dangerous to generalise on this topic as there are so many lifestyle and biological factors to consider.

For example, one of my closest girlfriends went hard early with her career and raced up the ladder before marrying in her late thirties and starting a family after that. She was 41 when her first child was born and 45 years old for the second. My friend and her husband achieved financial success through their careers before the birth of their first child. Their beautiful home was essentially paid off. They both drove expensive cars. They were able to fund everything that was about to come their way with parenthood including, potentially, private school education. They basically set themselves up so they could pull back once the children were born. My friend and her husband are both able to work part-time as they have the seniority, tenure and financial security to be able to do so. If there is a downside it is that my friend will be 63 when her youngest completes high school. If trends continue, 63 will be the new 40 by then anyway.

My husband and I hope to have been traveling the world on our own timeline (instead of being restricted by school holidays) for at least a decade as empty nesters when my friend’s youngest leaves school. By stark contrast to her life choice, I was 27 when I married and 28 when I first became a mother. My youngest was born nearly four years later so I should be done and dusted with school as I celebrate my fiftieth. Although I was a magazine editor when I first became a mother, I was in the early stages of my career and salary. My husband and I were living in our first apartment, a two-bedder that required renovation, at the time. We had a mortgage and car loan repayments. We were far from set up when we became parents for the first time. It was a financial shock. We both have worked full-time for most of our children’s lives as we build our careers and finances alongside the reality of their growing needs. As tough as it was on occasion, we have enjoyed developing our lives in tandem with our boys. The upside is that we will still be relatively young when our children start the next stage of their lives. There will also be a good decade left of our careers for any further leadership aspirations and financial consolidation.

There is no right or wrong answer to the question, unless there are biological or health issues to consider. Both choices can be positive, depending on your outlook, aspiration and needs. My friend is very happy with her decision and so am I.

Which will you choose or did you choose?

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