At the moment it’s more common for couples to choose to have kids later in life. 50% of UK women born in the 90’s are still childless by the age of 30. While you’re probably aware there are some risks associated with having kids later, it’s not often you hear about the benefits of delaying parenthood.
Whether that’s due wanting to feel more stable in your career or just simply because you’re not ready yet to have kids yet. There are medical resources to support this decision. Let’s chat about the benefits of waiting and some fertility preservation methods.
More Financially Stable
The most obvious benefit of waiting is you will have a lot more time to devote to your career. Considering the expenses involved in raising children, this will be extremely beneficial. For British couples in 2023, the average expense of raising a child to the age of eighteen was a whopping £166,000!
Waiting allows yourself to finish that degree, work on that promotion and possibly buy a house all before having a baby. You will eventually be thanking your past self for the financial freedom this gives you. This could be a great time to pay off any debt you have such as student loans or car payments to give yourself as much freedom later down the line.
Emotional Stability
Waiting until later in life to have babies often means you’ve navigated through some hard times. This could be losing a job, facing financial challenges or just dealing with your own personal challenges. These live events make you more resilient and patient. These are vital when it comes to parenting.
Having children later in life also means you have a better understanding of your emotional needs and how to manage them. This emotional intelligence can help you create a more stable environment for your child. Taking the time to work on yourself before becoming a parent, perhaps through therapy, is a truly selfless decision. It ensures that when you do have kids, you’re giving them the best version of yourself.
Personal Fulfilment
Delaying parenthood allows you to pursue your interests and hobbies more easily, such as travelling. Finding out who you are as an individual might become harder once you have kids. By allowing yourself to gain these experiences earlier in life it reduces the likelihood of future regrets.
This doesn’t mean you have to give up your passions once you become a parent. It just means that spontaneous plans become very tricky as you’ll most likely have to arrange a babysitter first. However, it’s not impossible.
More Situated
One great reason to delay parenthood is that it allows you to settle down in a home that you could own. Imagine having the time to explore and find the perfect city or town where you want to live, work, and raise a family. This extra time allows you to meet and connect with the right partner to share this journey with. By building a strong foundation and ensuring you’re both ready, you will be better equipped to embrace the joys of parenthood when the time comes.
Resources to support fertility later in life
It’s no surprise that fertility declines with age. That’s why it pays off to plan ahead and take steps to preserve fertility. Below are some medical preservation techniques and good habits that can aid you.
Fertility Preservation:
- Egg freezing. This allows women to store their eggs at a younger age. This preserves their fertility for the future. By collecting multiple eggs and freezing them for later use.
- Reproductive tissue freezing. This is an option for people unable to freeze their eggs. Or if they are about to undergo medical treatment that affects the ovaries.
- Sperm freezing. This is the most effective way of preserving male fertility.
- Embryo freezing. This method is often used by couples planning to conceive later.
Good Lifestyle Habits
In addition to the above preservation methods, keeping a balanced and healthy lifestyle can preserve fertility.
- Not Smoking. Removing this from your lifestyle can improve fertility in both women and men.
- Keep A Healthy Body Weight. Try to make sure you’re getting as much nutrients and vitamins as possible whilst staying within a healthy BMI range.
- Low Alcohol Consumption. Excessive drinking can negatively impact reproductive health.
- Regular Exercise. Regular exercise helps maintain healthy weight and reduce stress.
- Stress Management. While stress alone doesn’t usually cause infertility, it can be a contributing factor.
Not everyone wants to have kids earlier in life. Preserving fertility whilst young gives you more flexibility later in life. There are upsides to both sides.
This is a collaborative post
