When Should You Have Kids? Advice From a Fertility Doctor

**Learn more about my new fertility course to enhance your natural fertility and optimize your lifestyle**

Fertility physician Dr. Natalie Crawford, MD answers one of the top questions she is asked: When should I have kids?

Have you ever wondered when you should have kids? What does it mean if you are waiting? When is it too late? How do you choose between a career and family? What is ovarian reserve and egg quality? How do you plan a life that includes all of your goals?

Learn facts about reproductive aging, understand if you should consider egg freezing, and think hard about your future.

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Sharing fertility facts to educate women about trying to conceive, getting pregnant, ovulation, fertility treatments, IUI, IVF, becoming a doctor, life as a woman in medicine, and more.

[kerielarmali]

It’s not always up to just you to decide when to have kids. I married at 22 and then had my husband refuse to have kids with me. He kept having excuses and putting it off. I then divorced him and then my new partner didn’t want kids right away either. I was ok waiting a bit but then he cheated. So I waited for nothing. I finally met a man who actually wanted kids. Now 33 and pregnant with first child. I wanted to have kids 10 years ago. But wasn’t with a willing partner. Sadly

[sophiaelliott]

I’m actually tearing up. I’m in the process of completing my PhD (still early in the program) and am constantly going back and forth about when the right time is, I appreciate you making this video so so much.

[michellelrobison]

I was married at 20 and had my first child a month before I turned 22. I still had a semester of my undergraduate studies left, and so did my husband. We were taking 17 credits each and both working part time. We felt it was the right time even despite the challenges because there would never be a "perfect time." I now work full-time from home with our two children (3 and 18 months) while also trying to launch a writing career, while my husband works outside of the home. It's definitely no cakewalk, but I would never change our decision. Our kids are the best part of our life, and while our dreams are coming a little bit slower, we're still working on them. And the fact that our kids get to share in our successes and failures and learn firsthand what hard work looks like has turned out to be a pretty cool thing. Of course, I'm very blessed with my job and to be able to work with flexible hours, but I think anyone can make having a family work at any time if that's what they want. We don't even have family nearby to help with the kids and we make it work really well for us!

[Heykyddo]

Thank you so much for this! I’m turning 30 in a couple months and will be 30 when my first is born. Insane to think about my life trajectory thus far- I didn’t plan this pregnancy but it happened when I was two years deep into the mindset of being a wife and mom. And the fact that it’s happening right at 30 was NOT in the “plan” but I had dreams I was focused on, not goals- especially when it comes to partnership and babies I think goals are cute but the reality is we have to surrender to life itself for these things to happen, so the order of life actualizing is all over the place even outside of kids for me. I believe this is the best timing for this to happen for me even though it was unexpected. I’ve been in my flexible career for over a decade now and have always kept life and my schedule open to new things. This chapter is beyond exciting and overwhelming. It’s bringing me closer to my bigger purpose, to the life I always envisioned for myself. Bless everyone afraid of becoming a mom, I feel you now more than ever. We women are so resilient.

[c.coffee]

I loved this video! I'm 29 and my fiance and I started talking about it before the pandemic (when I was 28) and we have put it off so I'm not high risk which has made both of us sad. I found this video so comforting and reassuring!!

[sharlenebenton]

Love the advice of not avoiding the question just because it is scary! We certainly do that as women with careers Nat.

[nataliedehoog]

Natalie, You are just incredible. I've only just recently discovered your videos after questioning whether (at 34 almost 35) I need to freeze my eggs.
I want a baby but my physical health isn't great right now. I'm desperate to be a mum and have my own genetic children but the advice, even from my own GP over here in England is delivered in a cold and confusing way and has been stressing me out and making me upset.
I've binge watched so many of your videos over the last few days and I feel calmer, more knowledgeable and just better all round. I've learnt more from your videos than in my 6 visits to the fertility hospital.
So thank you so much. What a wonderful, caring and beautiful lady you are, if only all doctors could be like you <3

[pixiegurl]

This is so comforting and reassuring! I just turned 30 and have been thinking on and off when should my husband and i genuinely sit down and start thinking and planning! This made me feel so much better and that " im running out of time" feeling has eased up thank you .

[dpaper]

Right time to have children is when you actually have time for your children and are physically, mentally and financially ready to have children. Doesn't matter what age you are, but keep in mind the older we get the more difficult it is to conceive. Yeszir

[michellevandijk]

It is a feeling, which I started to feel 6 months ago or so? It is unexplainable, so I told my boyfriend, he was shocked and needed to process it. I gave him time. We live to together almost 5 years, and have everything to accommodate children. Since a month or so, we set the agreement together that we do whatever we want and not preventing it. It is not in an obsessive way, with ovulationtests. I only do have the flo app, just to track when my period will be. We will see if there will a baby soon or that it is just not our time yet..

[dancebrittany]

Turned 27 last month, deinfitely considering getting pregnant late this year so I can be a mom at 28.

[TheStonedPriestess]

some of these options require money a lot of us don't have. I wanted a kid at 24 but I wasn't in an appropriate relationship until 10 years later. I'm glad that I didn't back then. Sure I'll be delivering at 34 but that's fine with me. I hope that I'll have another in a couple years. 2 is my limit.

[JosetteBadger]

I do internal medicine and you are REALLY GOOD at this! Kudos

[physicianskitchen]

I don't want to be insensitive but I 32 and 33 is not even an advance maternal age. I think we should be informed- yes, but I somehow sense this underlying notion of panic if one hasn't birthed couple of kids by 30. And while it's an extremely sensitive subject, if one doesn't have emotional, financial and social means to have kids imho it's better not to.

[jessikarodriguez]

Thank you for this video! I am 28, have a job in corporate America and wanting multiple kids. Because of the job loss of my husband we have put having kids on pause. This video def is an eye opener and I am going to ask my doctor about the blood test you mentioned! I want to be prepared if we are going to have trouble conceiving and start actively making plans for the future since I have irregular periods. I also bought ovulation strips to start testing and making sure I’m actually ovulating.

[meganmaia]

Thank you so much for this video!! I am very young only turning 22 and already talking about ttc with my fiance next year!

[tar]

I waited to long now i have fertility issues .wish i wld hve just had one in my 20s...

[michellezavier]

Your content is so helpful and relatable! I am so grateful a good friend shared your channel with me 😊 I am finishing my Masters program, work full time and was recently diagnosed with PCOS. My husband and I have begun the journey of trying to conceive and the information you are sharing and your ability to share your own personal story means so much to me. Thank you so much!!!!

[melekeen]

I'm turning 32 in october and I'm having major crisis over do I want kids or not. I have no idea if I'm cut out to be a mom. I have a man, but it's long distance and corona is screwing everything up, so definitely getting worried.. A friend who is the same age as me, is going to start fertility treatments because she's having lowered egg quality already. Meanwhile a friend who is few years older, got a baby on her second try.
It's not easy being a woman and feeling like you're running out of time.. Major stress and feeling like maybe I should make an appointment with my gyno just to check what my situation is and how long do I have to try..

Btw, I love how empathic you come across on your videos ❤

[youcansoften]

I'm glad I had my daughter at 20 now im 29 almost 30 and i feel its not the right time (im in a new relationship) and we talked about having a baby in a year more o less and then another one 2 years later and thats it haha ❤ hopefully everything goes fine.