Trying to find the right time for us

[Dts12]

So my first post here, looking for some advice.
I'm 24 and married. My husband and I have been together for 6.5 years, married for a year and a half.
We both have graduated college, and have careers (I work in the hospital in the cardiac cath lab and he is an assistant project manager for a large construction firm).
We are currently building our first home.
We have 2 dogs and 1 horse.
We've talked about children and we both want one we just aren't sure when the right time is.
I no there is no exact "right time" but I'm at a loss for what I'm feeling.
I want a baby, and in my mind I think that we are financially stable, have good jobs, will have a good home, and family.
I have 2 nieces that are a year and a half and just over a year old and a nephew that's almost 3 and my cousin is pregnant with her second.
I don't want my child to be too far behind so he/she will have family close in age.
Both of my parents were late in life and I want my child to be able to enjoy their grand parents.
Also, I was born with a diaphragmatic hernia, so I feel it would be better to go through pregnancy while I'm young and my body can handle it better.

I'm concerned I am still too young to have a baby. Even though my husband and I don't travel or do things that "normal people our age" do, I feel like it's frowned upon to have a baby at my age.
Can anyone give me an incite as to when they made the decision to start trying?
I'm thinking about starting TTC at 26 so that way we have another year and a half under our belt.
I know it's a lifetime commitment, and I'm ready for it. I just want to make sure I am making the right decision and I don't have anyone I can really ask about it.

 

[Sirius37]

Honestly, no one will know better than you and your DH about when the timing feels right to TTC. DH and I decided over a year ago to base our TTC plans around his upcoming deployment, because we knew we wanted him to be around for the whole pregnancy. I'll admit I was worried I still wouldn't feel ready and/or excited by the time we agreed to TTC, but then this past August - BAM! - I was hit with the baby bug bad and it hasn't gone away at all. Now I just want this stupid deployment to be over so we can start!

I really believe it is based upon when you and your DH feel ready and certainly (please) do not base your timeline upon what other people feel is an appropriate age to begin a family; it's really none of their business. If you feel like you and your DH are in a good place and feel ready to take the next step, then do it! After all, there's always a chance it may take longer to conceive than you anticipate.

 

[BB1982]

Please don't base it on other people's lives, it really has to be right for you! I remember my best friend having a baby almost 7 years ago, she is a year younger than me and I felt so left behind. Then my sister had her two, and I wanted babies so like you said they'd all grow up together. Now I'm looking to try (hopefully) in the next 12 months and I've just been told by 3 other friends (who don't know my plans) they are all going to try in the next 12 months to. You will always find people, either friends, family (they may have more in a few years!) or even through anti natal or baby groups. All my friends who have kids have met loads of new people and seem to be busier than ever with play dates!! When you're ready, that's the right time! Sounds like you are in a good place to if you do choose its the right time, so good luck! X

 

[MindUtopia]

I wouldn't say we were in the same settled, financially stable position as you when we had our daughter. I was in grad school (still am, finishing this year) and my husband had just graduated, started a new job and hated it (he quit his job when our daughter was 2 months old and started his own business, which has been hugely successful, but a crazy thing to do when you're new parents). We don't own a house. We didn't really have any savings at the time. I was 32 though, so to an extent, I felt the clock was ticking because we knew were wanted 2 and not with a small age gap. We basically knew the time was right when we felt like we'd done everything we wanted to do when it was just the two of us and we could still be selfish. We have travelled loads and both lived and worked overseas, before we met and together. We exhausted ourselves on nights out, staying up late, going out for nice meals, taking spontaneous road trips for the weekend, etc. Basically, we felt like we did it all as young, child-less people and we were getting a little bored and wanted a different pace of life and a life with a different meaning attached to it. Once you have a kid, it's really hard to travel or move overseas to take a job on a whim or go out for dinner or go away on a moment's notice for the weekend. Everything takes planning. It takes asking (begging!) people to babysit. It means bringing loads of crap with you every where you go, not being able to stay out past dinner time, not seeing as much of your friends. It's a huge change. We felt we were ready when we felt like we did everything we wanted to do before life had to take a different pace. I don't think there is ever a right time in terms of money and stability (though there are certainly better times than others maybe), but for us, I think we felt it was right when we were ready to give up some of that old life for a new one and we didn't feel too sad about it.

 

[Xrosex]

I dont think you should worry what other people think is the right time or age, im 20 and plan on having a child the end of this year or next like you i want my child to be at a close age to its cousins so it has a close family you seem to be in a pretty stable position so if its what you want go for it, good luck