Every woman who decides she wants kids one day is confronted with the same question: When is the perfect time?
Some say it's in your early 20s when your body is in its "prime" and the notorious so-called "biological clock" is not yet ticking. But, then again, having a baby early on could cost you your education and possibly a career. That could lead to a lifetime of financial insecurity, dependence on a partner and some serious difficulty when re-entering the workforce.
Say goodbye to parties, sleep-ins and, yes, hot coffees ...
That's not to mention the personal sacrifices you have to make when taking on responsibility for another human being. Of course, you can also fulfill your goals with babies in tow, or your babies could be your personal goals. But there’s no denying that with kids around everything gets a lot more difficult.
So, is later better? In your mid 30s or even in your 40s, when you have had time to achieve a solid career, travel and live a little? But, what about the biological factors that come with ageing, such as plummeting fertility and the increased risk of genetic abnormalities?
'You have to have kids before you turn 35!'
No doubt you have heard this well-worn phrase from someone, somewhere before. But where does this age limit actually come from? It is certainly not based on recent large-scale, randomized control studies of women, as researcher Jean Twenge discovered, but on data from French records that are hundreds of years old.
More recent studies paint a far more promising picture: statistics show that at the age of 27, the chance of a woman getting pregnant within a year is 86%. By age 37, these chances only drop to 82%. Over this decade, there is actually very little difference in terms of fertility.
And as far as the issue of genetic abnormalities goes, yes — heightened risk is a reality, but often it is nowhere near as dramatic as some people would have you believe.
So, what's the right decision?
Well, to answer that question, we need to take an in-depth, nuanced look at the research — one that goes beyond just the biological point of view.
Here is where DW's new series Real Talk Baby! comes in.
Drawing on the personal experiences of our reporters with children, the series digs deep into the science behind baby-making. We take a look at what the research shows to question some long-held beliefs, offer guidance and quell your doubts about pregnancy, birth and raising kids.
Our first episode answers this very question: Is there such thing as the perfect age for having babies?
Real Talk Baby is a series written and created by Anna Sacco, produced by Anna Sacco, Julia Vergin and Derrick Williams, shot by Joscha Lippelt, with sound by Frank Strothmann and editing by Friederike Rohrmann.