I am 22 and I will be having my 3rd child this summer. I just started thinking of that, and thought that was pretty young. I don't know what made me think of it. Katelyn was born a month after I turned 19, Hailey was born 3 months before I turned 21 and now I will have this baby 4 months before I turn 23. I am a 22 year old driving a van...and the worst part...I love my van. That is so weird. I am just semi-freaking out, just thought I would see if anyone was a young mother. BTW, I am so thankful for my children, that is not the issue and I think they have really given me alot of maturity, petty things don't bother me as much as they used to. And I FEEL a whole lot older than 22!

By Brandy on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 01:45 pm:

I had mine at 20-17 days after and 22-3 months and 17 days after = ) ...so i don't think i was too young = )

By Boxzgrl on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 01:52 pm:

I had Kaitlyn 4 months before turning 21. When DH and I first got married, we learned 2 days later that I was pregnant (big Oopsie!) and when I finally came to terms to be happy with it, I had a miscarriage. I sad sad, depressed and relieved all at once. Then 3 months after that we started seriously talking about kids. We decided when he got home from Japan after a 6 month tour, we'd start trying. That would be 10 months after we got married. I never knew it would take only 2 weeks to get pregnant (11 days to be exact!) but we were thrilled. I don't know if I wanted a baby because I felt like I was missing something after the miscarriage or what but everyone though I was crazy for wanting a child so young and freshly married. But honestly, it has been nothing but pure joy. If I could do it all over again I would have probably waited until Dh got home from Iraq and we had the tight relationship we have now but since we didnt know he was going to Iraq and I didnt know we'd have an episode of marital problems, there was no way to plan that! All in all, it's great being a mother. I have something wonderful to wake up to everyday. DH and DD have both done their part in making me the happy person I am today.

By Kolbysmom on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 01:56 pm:

Yep! I had Kolby when I was 20.5. I'm 24 now and having a baby in May. I've always felt a lot older than I really am. I'm not sure why. I don't really seem to notice having a family so young until my friends bring it up. They're mostly wanting to settle down, get married and have children.

By Christylee on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 01:58 pm:

I was 25 when I had Brendan but my sister will be 22 on the 29th and she has a 3 year old and one that will be 2 in May.

By Truestori on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:01 pm:

Well,

I top everyone so far! LOL
I had my daughter at 16. I remember the odd stares, the I can't believe she's pregnant and truthfully it never bothered me. As a matter of fact I get the last laugh because everyone insists that me and my daughter are sisters. LOL
I love being a young mom, I feel like I can keep up with my children and I'm not quite out of the loop so to speak. My husband and I are quite lucky that we found one another and are still content after growing up together. And just think when I turn 40 my kids will be out of the house! There are times when I think about going on Dr. Phil and showing him that teen pregnancy doesn't always lead to disaster. My husband and I are a success story to our family, friends they can't believe we turned out so great!

By Jann on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:03 pm:

WOW!! I didn't even know my husband at any of your ages!
I am the flip side. My dh and I had all our 'fun' on the front end, we will be in our wheelchairs when our kids graduate! LOL

By Boxzgrl on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:09 pm:

I also forgot to mention that my Grandma and Mom are 20 years apart. My Mom and I are 20 years apart. And DD and I are 20 years apart. It must be a trend in my family!

By Bellajoe on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:13 pm:

I had my dd when i was 22. I found out i was pregnant with her 2 months after our wedding.

I had my ds when i was 23 yrs old.

By Trina~moderator on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:14 pm:

I'm with Jann.

I met DH at 22, married at 24 but didn't have my first baby until 32.

By Melanie on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:29 pm:

I had my first at 22, second at 24, and third at 27.

By Pamt on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:30 pm:

I thought I was young, but not compared to most of you! I was married at 22, had my first child at 26 and my second was born 5 days before my 29th birthday. I was still in college in my early 20s---can't imagine having been a mother then!

BTW, my mom became a mother when she was 15. Yikes!

By Cat on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 02:51 pm:

I got married at 20, and had my kids when I was 22 and 24. Pretty young, but not as young as some!

By Lauram on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 03:06 pm:

I didn't meet my dh until 24- and got married at 26. So my kids were born at 27 and 32! Wow, I feel old now!

By Lorebunde on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 03:09 pm:

I am a late bloomer. I had my son @ 31, my daughter (now 7 going on 8) at 37. I did not feel old at all though maybe to other people. I had my fun in my 20's and finally settled down in my 30's.

By Palmbchprincess on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 03:10 pm:

I turned 20 three months after the kids were born. I had married their father the day before my 19th birthday. You could be in my shoes, divorced with 2 kids at 21! Anyway, I'm excited about buying a van this summer, I'll be another 22 year old minivan momma!

By Palmbchprincess on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 03:12 pm:

Oh, and I also feel way older than 22, sometimes I stumble when I have to give my birthday, it doesn't seem like I was born in 1982.

By Paulas on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 03:19 pm:

Had my DD @ 26 and DS the day after I turned 30. I guess I'm on the older side too.

By Reds9298 on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 03:35 pm:

I with Trina and Jann - married at 23 after college, first and only baby at 30 (he's 32). We waited because we wanted to 'have our fun on the front end' as Jann said! We still weren't even sure we were ready when we conceived..almost decided to be childless. Being a mom is *wonderful*, but I'm sooo glad we did so much before we became parents. I don't think I could have handled being a young mom and that's probably why we never had any 'accidents' - I wouldn't have done well at all. I think there are advantages to becoming parents both early and late.

By Jann on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 03:59 pm:

OMG...you were born in '82?????? I had been out of COLLEGE for several years by then!!!!!!!!!


lordy, i feel old! LOL

By Boxzgrl on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 04:05 pm:

LOL Jann, I was born in 1982 as well!!!

By My2cuties on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 04:10 pm:

I was born in 1982. too funny

By Tonya on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 04:16 pm:

I was born in 1977 so I am not too old either. 1st kid right before my 21st B-day 2nd not long after my 27th B-day!

By Angellew on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 04:16 pm:

I'm on the other end of the spectrum! I had my one (and Only) at 37!!! She turned 3 two days ago!

By Karen~moderator on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 04:24 pm:

I had mine at 28 and 29.......*I* am the old one here......they are 20 and 21 now.

By Luvn29 on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 04:57 pm:

I had my first just a couple of months after I turned 17. Had my second and last a couple of months after I turned 20.

I am like TrueStori and just want to be able to get the word out that not all teen mothers are pathetic mothers. Yes, a lot are. Probably more so than aren't. But happily, my marriage is wonderful and my kids are very well behaved, and and all of the teachers and the principal wish more students were like them because they do so well in school and cause no problems.

I had health problems when I turned 21 and probably would not have been able to have children at that point in my life, so I feel very thankful to God for giving me my children when he did. Being a mother is my favorite thing in the world, and I couldn't imagine life without children.

And on top of all that, I am very young looking, especially when I was pregnant with my dd, so instead of looking like a pregnant sixteen year old, I looked more like a 12 or 13 year old, so that was not fun.

But the thought that I'll only be 40 when both kids are graduated (from college!)is very pleasant indeed!

By Sunny on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 05:06 pm:

I had my first child one month after I turned 20 (in 1988 when some of you were just starting elementary school!) and my youngest two months before I turned 34. At the time I felt more than ready at 19 to have a baby, (and think I've been doing a pretty good job as a parent these past 16 years ), but looking back, I wouldn't recommend having a baby that young.

By Pamt on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 05:09 pm:

To echo Stori and Adena...

I mentioned that my mom had my sister at 15. Well, she wasn't a "pathetic teenage mother" either. My parents went to a "work at your own pace" school to finish their high school diplomas. (My dad was 17). After that, they both went to college and scheduled their classes opposite of each other so that childcare wasn't an issue. They lived in a trailer and my dad was a milkman starting at 4:30 am to put them through school. My mom graduated first and began teaching to finish putting my dad through pharmacy school. By then I had come along and we still lived in a trailer. We moved into a rental house when I was a toddler and my dad had graduated and then they bought their first house when I was about 4-5.

Long story...not quite as long as it could be ...My parents will celebrate their 44th anniversary this year. My mom has a master's degree in educational administration and supervision and my dad has a doctorate in pharmacology. They had 3 children (spaced waaayyy apart-LOL) and we have all had 4 grandchildren, so far. My parents would never recommend having a shotgun wedding or having children as young as they did, but they beat the odds. Not without a few snags---they have been separated twice and my dad had an affair when I was in college--but they have regrouped, gone to counseling, and are FINALLY getting to enjoy the time alone together that they never had before. They are happier than they have ever been and I am very proud of them. And...they are really young grandparents!

By Bea on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 05:10 pm:

I was 21 when I had my first son and 26 when I had my last.

By Missmudd on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 06:37 pm:

20 for my first, 25 for #2, 28 for #3 and 32 for #4. Now my kids age 16 to 4, what the heck was I thinking LOL

By Jelygu on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 06:46 pm:

I had just turned 22 when I had Christopher.

By Annie2 on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 09:25 pm:

I had my first when I was 26 and my fourth when I was 32. Four in six years. Almost to the day! LOL My oldest on the 24th of May and youngest on the 23rd of May.

By Missbookworm on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 09:35 pm:

I had my first baby at 16 too @ truestori and Luvn. I took full responsibility for him then and I still am (now have 3 children) I had my last child when I was 24...she'll be 6 this year..I've just turned 30.

By Dawnk777 on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 09:40 pm:

Nope. Met DH at 26, got married at 27. Sarah was born when I was 29 and Emily was born when I was 32!

I was in college from 18-23, so I was NOT interested in having children, then! Dated a guy in college and almost married him, but then he broke up with me. Then I got my first nursing job 200 miles away and moved on with my life.

I just turned 45 in March. My girls are 15.5 and 13.

By Marcia on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 09:41 pm:

I was 29 when Nicole was born, and 31 with Meghan. Kayla was born when I was 32, but came to us when I was 33, as did Sonja. I've lost track of when everyone else joined the family. LOL

By Mommmie on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 09:42 pm:

I was 31 when I birthed, but I can see huge advantages to having babies younger. I would not want to have a baby in my 40s. I'm 41 now suffering with peri-menopause and I can't imagine having a baby, too.

By Mommyof4 on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 09:52 pm:

I was married at 20 (4 months short of 21). I was 24 when my oldest dd came home from Vietnam but only 23 years older than she is. Had my first bio child at 25.5, another at 26.5 and my last bio at 29. I am 31 years older than my son who was adopted last July at the age of 2. I always wanted to be no more than 30 years older than my youngest child and so far I have come pretty close...although there are some beautiful children waiting for families so who knows if we are done yet. :-)

By Kernkate on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 09:58 pm:

My first DS was born when I was 22.Divorced... then 2nd DS when I was 31 and DD when I was 36. OMG I am feeling really old. Old Mamma here!!! LOL

By Bobbie~moderatr on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 10:22 pm:

DD (almost 16) was born when I had just turned 18, DS (13) was born when I was 21, and the girls (8) were born when I was 26. I will be 34 in July.

By Tink on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 10:35 pm:

I found out I was preggo with my oldest when I was 19. I lost her twin two months later and had her two months after I turned twenty. My son was born 4 days after my 22nd birthday and my youngest was two years after that. I am done and I feel sooooo much older than any of my friends from high school. 90% of my friends are at least 5 years older than me!

By Palmbchprincess on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 10:58 pm:

My mother had both experiences, me at 18 (almost 19), then my sister 32 and my brother at 37. My brother is only 3 years older than my kids.

By Dana on Saturday, April 2, 2005 - 12:01 am:

Well, Jann and Trina, I got you both beat, along with other "older moms"

Met DH at 32 yrs (my first and only marriage). Had DD at 36 yrs and DS at 43.

I had a truly wonderful single life. I dated several different wonderful men thru the years, not one of which I am sorry for the time spent with them. I totally enjoyed college life. Thought living single and on my own was the best. Bought my own car (A very cool and pretty Honda Prelude!), bought my own house, had a fully furnished home w/ a pool and a very special dog. By the time I married DH I was completely in the black and owed no one a single penny. Car paid off, home paid off, and all credit cards paid in full.

I am happy our children came later in life. Still curious how having a baby at 43 is going to be. It amazes me that many of you gals will be enjoying and fighting the empty nest syndrome at that age, and here I am just beginning.