Too young to be pregnant?

There is a rather odd story in today's paper about a woman who is, so she says, being criticised for being pregnant at the age of twenty-four. It is curious this should have come up because the day before I was talking to someone who mentioned his wife was the niece of someone younger than herself. I also know someone who is the uncle to someone older than he is. It happens.

My mother first became pregnant (with me) at twenty-six. It was considered quite old back then. Middle Cat was older than that but still not thirty. Now thirty or more seems to be considered "normal" - except that it surely isn't?

Once upon a time as they say it was considered "normal" for girls in their teens to be married and even have more than one child. There was the gradual realisation that (most) girls of fourteen and fifteen were not mature enough to marry and have children. Death in childbirth was alarmingly common. The law eventually did what needed to be done. 

Now there seems to be an idea that "I can wait to have children. I can start my career first. We can go the IVF route if there are problems." Really? I suppose it must work because a lot of people seem to do it.

But I wonder if it is really fair on the child? The Senior Cat had a cousin who adopted a child when he was over fifty. (How he did this is a mystery but he did it.) His wife was much younger and they thought there would be no children. As is sometimes the way they then had two more because she did manage to conceive. I remember talking to the middle child and she remarked, "The problem with the boys is that they have a grandfather, not a father...and Mum was old to have us."  I spent quite a number of Sundays with them when I was a student in the same city. They were very kind to me but I remember F....'s comment because she was right. At that time the children's parents were at least ten years older than most of those around them. 

It is not uncommon for parents to tell me they are "tired" and even "exhausted". I can understand that. Even looking after children for just a few hours is enough at times. The idea that you can be that little bit older, go to work full time and bring up children is perhaps just a bit too much? Is this another reason why some parents appear to be so anxious to hand over as much of the parenting responsibilities as possible to others? Is it why children are handed over to grandparents and why they are pushed into all sorts of "out-of-school" activities? How often do we hear someone say, "X.... is at their A.... lesson and I need to get the shopping done" or something similar.

Would it be a good thing to be a little younger to become a parent...or have all the demands to have a career and the mortgage under control become more important?