Younger is better for having babies: Mums

Australian research released this week found 59 per cent of mothers felt 29 was the perfect age to start a family. Michele McPherson asked Western Bay mothers what age they deemed perfect to procreate.

There's no such thing as the perfect age to have a baby, but if there was it would be closer to 25 than 29, say Western Bay mothers.
Tauranga woman Sheryl Ford was 25 when she became pregnant with her first child, an age she says has been ideal for her.
"I would think the younger the better body-wise, but stability-wise 29 would be a good place to start. I would think 25 onwards would be fine," she said.
At the time she became pregnant, Mrs Ford was in a stable job as a pharmacy assistant and saving for her OE, but travel is something she and her husband, Jason, will now do together when their two children are older.
"Unless you're living a healthy lifestyle it's harder to keep up with them [when you are older]. I think you're in a good place being in the middle. We're pretty good the way things have turned out and I don't think that you can always plan these sort of situations," she said.
Based on the research, Tauranga mother-of-two Nicola Jones was the "perfect age" when she gave birth to her first child, and the 33-year-old tends to agree.
After meeting her husband at age 21 the couple enjoyed eight years together, including four in London, before settling back in New Zealand to start a family.
"The age was fine for us, we weren't worried about anything."
Having children and buying a house also meant a major change in lifestyle and a loss of the carefree days of renting and disposable income.
"What you used to spend all your money on you can't do as much of. That was a bit of a shock," Mrs Jones said. "I think if we hadn't gone overseas for as long then we probably would have got married sooner and had children sooner. We were just enjoying life over there."
Meanwhile, Mrs Jones' colleague Tarina Rawson, 27, had the first of her two sons at just 21.
"He wasn't planned. I would have preferred to wait a while," she said.
Miss Rawson and her partner had their second child when she was 25, which she describes as the "perfect age" to procreate.
"Just because I didn't want to be too old. I just feel that's [29] getting on a bit."
Miss Rawson and her partner also have full custody of his 11-year-old son.
While the lure of travel has never called, Miss Rawson said no children would probably mean a more active social life.
"I'd be going out more, but that's all I can think of really, I don't think things would be that different," she said.
Meanwhile, Papamoa mother-of-four Sheryl Crawford had her first child at a 21, and her last 23 years later.
With three adult children, a second marriage meant the desire to have another child and Mrs Crawford said the most important thing was to want the baby.
"There isn't an ideal. That person's got to feel that they're in a loving relationship and they're ready for it. It is a wonderful phase of your life."
Mrs Crawford said new babies at each end of the age spectrum presented different challenges.
When her first child was born things were tighter financially and she and her husband at times felt on the outer as few of their friends had children.
While quite happy living the quieter lifestyle during her fourth pregnancy, Mrs Crawford said there were the potential complications to consider at an older age.