Have 2 Kids Before 30

Having 1,2 or no kids is one's personal choice. But if you are planning to have 2 kids in life, better to have it before 30. The number may seem too early for many. It is true that during our mom's generation, they would get married between 18-21 and by 25 they had 2-3 kids. The 80s born, many would have got married between 22-26 and have 2 kids by early 30s. The 90s born are not in a hurry to get married and have all the valid reasons for the delay, which in turn delays their pregnancy. Of course, in today's modern world, the technology has developed so much that you can have the baby even at the age of 60. You can freeze your eggs or go for an artificial insemination, IVF or surrogacy and many more options are available.

But! Is motherhood only about having the baby? Definitely not. Motherhood is a journey. You have to be with your kids physically, mentally and emotionally throughout their childhood and at least till they become completely independent. Our kids need us the most till they complete their basic education. Once they get into the job, they become independent and may not need us as much as they did before. 

My mother always says that, physically she is not as strong as my grandmother. And I feel I am not as strong as my mother. So if I have my first child at 40 and second one at 45, by the time they complete 20, I will be 60 plus. And I might need someone to look after me.  There are many people who initially feel 1 kid is enough for them and have it before 30 but later change their minds for multiple reasons and have the second baby after 30. They might realise that during their first pregnancy they were physically much stronger and there were lesser complications. They wouldn't have faced certain health issues during first pregnancy which they did in the second.

Here are some of the drawbacks of having the baby(first or second) after 30

• Increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the baby. 

The risk of chromosomal abnormality increases with maternal age. The chance of having a child affected by Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 1,250 for a woman who conceives at age 25, to about 1 in 100 for a woman who conceives at age 40. It is possible that risks may be higher as many statistics only report live births.

• Increased risk of miscarriage

There is higher chance of miscarriage (early pregnancy loss) in older mothers. When considering all women, about half of first trimester miscarriages happen because of a chromosomal abnormality in the fetus. Because these abnormalities increase with maternal age, miscarriage is also more likely. 

• Fertility falls after 30

A woman’s body goes through various physical and hormonal changes after the age of 30. And with each passing year, there is a decline in her fertility rate.

• Risk of childbirth complications

Possibility of a cesarean birth rises due to fetal distress or prolonged pushing stage, which are more common in women post 30.

• Pre-existing health conditions leads to complications

Problems like Thyroid, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney problems and heart problems also complicate the late pregnancy, thus risking the baby’s life.

Many women may feel that having 2 kids early may affect their career. But it might not be always true. Nowadays there is complete support for working moms in the family and at the organization. 

Here are some of the positive things 

•Many organizations have increased the duration of maternity leave. 

•One can take a sabbatical. 

•Some organizations allow you to quit and rejoin. 

•Few companies give work from home for 2-3 days of the week.

We can see many successful working women around us who had 2 Kids before 30 and after that they could concentrate completely on career. Kids and career both are important. But definitely you should have kids at the right age as our biological clock will be ticking.