What is the youngest age that a girl should ever have a baby under even the very best circumstances?

Question

So many girls want to, AND DO, have babies at very young ages. I think this question is so important to ask and to get young girls to be thinking about before they make that decision... DON'T YOU?

I am not talking about age of consent or financial concerns... those 2 concerns are swept aside anyways by any young girl desperate to have a baby she can call her own. I have seen this way too many times to be told otherwise! And some countries have ridiculously low age of consent anyway, especially middle eastern countries where men can marry extremely young girls and impregnate them and even have multiple wives.

This question is about her body's physical ability to have one, but even more important... her mental ability!

Like how young is her body able to have a baby physically and how young can she mentally handle the choices and responsibilities that come with having the baby.

Please share your views on this EXTREMELY IMPORTANT question! ... PLEASE!

What is the youngest age that a girl should ever have a baby under even the very best circumstances?

Lliam · Accepted Answer

My wife and I were discussing this topic just the other day.

Women are capable of bearing children at a young age. Any time between 16 and 26 is probably optimal. But, at such a young age they are not mentally mature enough to raise them properly. How did humans evolve in such a way when it seems like a danger to offspring's survival? It's not optimal. And nature favors what's optimal when it comes to reproduction and survival.

Then it occurred to us that, for almost all of human history, mothers and fathers did not raise their children alone. People lived with, or in close proximity to, the children's grandparents and even great grandparents. People usually grew up in the places where they were born. They lived in villages or in small neighborhoods where everyone knew each other. So the extended family and the neighbors all contributed to raising the kids. The children not only benefited from the example of their parents but also from the wisdom of elders.

So, if a naive 16 year old girl had a child, her parents would be in their early 30s and her grandparents would be around their early 50s. The child was surrounded by knowledge, experience and wisdom.

Certain cultures still do this. I'm thinking of many Asian and Latin cultures, in particular, but also other traditional and indigenous cultures around the world. They have family values.

In the west, we send kids off to school. There are preschools and now we have pre-K that begins as early as young as age 4. But I consider our educational system to be dysfunctional. I don't think it does enough to make children feel valued. It doesn't teach wisdom. It is harsh, authoritarian and makes learning feel like work. It treats kids like robots. In many ways, it is actually abusive and alienating.

Torari · Accepted Answer

Physically, 16 minimum, 25 ideally.
Mentally, 23 minimum, 27 ideally.
No need to Rush, just don't wait 'til 40. The younger you are the easier it is to physically bounce back. But if your too young mentally you'll probably ruin both yours, and the babies life.

TinawAllison · Accepted Answer

A young girl getting pregnant at young age is a very bad idea. In fact in some if not all 50 states it’s considered Statutory RAPE. Due to the fact they are a minor child yet. The parents can press charges against the perp. It’s also considered criminal . Once the parents get involved it’s bad news for the guy if he is 18& up. He would be looking at some serious prison time. Then there is lots of problems this has caused. Not to mention on how serious this crime can be. It can vary from state to state statutory rape can range from misdemeanors to serous felonies depending normally on the age of victim & age difference between offender & the victim. My advice to everyone is you have the power to control it. If someone is forcing you into it. You need to let your parents or a trusted friend know what’s going on. It maybe your body etc. Don’t ruin your future. If your 18 & over that’s one thing. If your younger all bets are off it’s jail bate. It’s not worth the risks that’s involved. Having a baby is a huge undertaking & responsibility. Some need to think before you do it. Consider the all risks. My brother was doing some side jobs with a friend of his. One day My brother calls My mom & tells her she is going to be a grandma again. Come to find out he was messing around with a 13 yr old & got her knocked up. My mom told Me & I said his friend can file charges on him& he is at risk of going to prison. i said to My mom does he realize he could go to prison if his friend filed charges on him. I said there would be nothing you can do. He is on his own on that. Prison is no joke. I’ve heard stories about prison & what goes on in there. It’s not good either.

strawberrysouffle · Accepted Answer

Well, a girl's body is physically capable of conceiving right after puberty starts, but that's not necessarily the same time that it is physically capable of a safe pregnancy and giving birth. The latter would be when a girls leaves puberty, so around 17/18. Then it all depends on how 'emotionally mature' she is, and what environment she is in. They're often linked to each other. In a lot of western countries, girls go to school until at least age 18, often early or even late twenties. They don't have a 'mature' environment with an own household, income, etc. Having a baby is very inconvenient, to say the least, in this environment, and it's not unlikely that they haven't gotten any information on or experience with managing a baby, income, housing, etc. So, "not emotionally mature", or actually, "not emotionally ready". In those cases, an ideal scenario would be when the girl is out of school and has gotten her life together (income, housing, etc.) just enough to be able to handle a baby.
In other cases, a girl might grow up in a big family that all lives together in one house (not worrying about housing), has a job planned out (farmer, housewife,... are some typical ones that are decided very early on), and leaves school at age 18 or earlier. In that case, there's little to no reason why she shouldn't or wouldn't have a baby if she wants to. She doesn't need to concentrate on other things, likely has a lot of help from family, and it's pretty normal to have a child at her age. She likely is "emotionally ready".
Of course, both are 'extremes' but it shows how putting a number on this isn't really possible.

SarahElizabeth98 · Accepted Answer

Well my great grandmother had my grandmother at 10 and many women have in the past. After a woman starts menstruating she is capable of getting pregnant and carrying a child because the body starts physically changing two years prior to the first period. You get boobs two years before you start. I started at 9 and I had boobs at seven and a half but they didn’t stop growing (I had growth pains until I was 12) so perhaps I could have physically been okay with giving birth at 12 but mentally even now at 21 I am not ready but my mum had me at 22. Personally I think mentally it’s like a baby having a baby even though it is the body of a woman. I would say physically two years after the first period and mentally it depends on how mature the individual is. Some 18-year-olds are more mature than 25-year-olds.

Both physical and mental age will differ. Some girls don’t have their periods even at 16 and some girls start as early as 9 and have fully adult bodies at 12/13. Evolution proves that a woman starts mating as soon as she gets her menses so you are most definitely capable of giving birth at a very young age physically it just depends on the individual. Most 12-year-olds are definitely not mentally adults yet and behave like small children though.

BlackRoseFairy · Accepted Answer

I am against teenage pregnancy no matter how much a girl thinks she wants it.
First of all because reality is nothing like TV or whatever she might be dreaming of. In other words she doesn't know what she's wishing for.
Secondly because her body is not fully developed yet.
Thirdly because it comes with some major risks like
Low birth weight/premature birth, Low birthweight is associated with several infant and childhood disorders and a higher rate of infant mortality. Low-birthweight babies are more likely to have organs that are not fully developed, which can result in complications, such as bleeding in the brain, respiratory distress syndrome, and intestinal problems.
Anemia,
High blood pressure/pregnancy induced hypertension, PIH (can lead to preeclampsia, which can lead to eclampsia, which in turn can be lethal for both the mother and the child),
Higher rate of infant mortality (death),
Possible greater risk of cephalopelvic disproportion (the baby’s head is wider than the pelvic opening - in other words she can't give natural birth)
Higher rates of postpartum depression and PTSD

To me a woman should stay pregnant after the age of 19-20.

Wonderer89 · Answer

I don’t think it’s the right question at all, especially when it comes to very young girls like you’ve specified. It’s not just about being physically or even mentally ready - it’s about that PLUS being able to provide stability and financially for children. It’s a vicious cycle, lower socioeconomic families in particular cultivating this idea that their youngest only needs to be (hopefully) a certain age to have children instead of encouraging having a stable relationship, stable income, life experiences that should be had before getting pregnant. I grew up in housing commission (government housing) and the women who sat on their front porch smoking with a baby on her knee was joined by her daughter who sits on the front porch smoking with a baby on her knee. More discussion needs to be had about alternatives instead of an “acceptable” age

SteveSmith1985 · Answer

If I had to be pinned down to an age, I would say 20.

I would have picked the C except... So far as I know a woman's body IS ready right after puberty.. It's her mental development that could use a few more years after 18

hidethealiens420 · Answer

I think even if the girls body is ready I think its more about the mental health, is she ready to take on this at such a young age and also balance school with having the baby?

In my opinion, 18 is still young for having a baby, that's the age where your just trying to figure out your life, and even if you have it figured out, your trying to make your dreams come true.

I think you should be at least 25 to have a baby, by then, your on your own, you've been working hard, and you've had enough time in your life to actually think about what having a baby means.

simplyaramdomgirl · Answer

Technically speaking a teenage girl could end up pregnant after their first menstruation cycle. However, the body nor the mind are prepared for that kind of stress, hence most teenage pregnancies being high risk for the mother. I don't think anyone should be having sexual relations without the proper precautions, but especially not a teenager. They're not prepared for a baby nor an STD. Any teenager should at least wait to being 18+ years old to have a baby. Once you're 18 you're at least legally an adult (depending on where you live) and you can provide for yourself. You're definitely not ready for a baby at 18, but if it happens at least you can get two jobs and try to figure it out.

MlleCake · Answer

No younger than 28.

sjoes006 · Answer

Why is this post taking up soooo much real estate?

Rocky_Jocky57 · Answer

18 is the youngest id go down for a mother. But even the, they shouldn't have them that young.

DizzyDesii · Answer

I think age 24 is ideal. You’ll have been out of high school and college a few years

VIVANT · Answer

physically I think around16

Randomawkwardness · Answer

I don't think anyone should be having kids under 20. People are not ready emotionally and yes, some do step up and become amazing parents but that isn't a burden that should be placed on someone still going through highschool. At 15, I was still giggling with my crush over a funny drawing he drew. At 16, I thought that if someone ignored you and treated you badly, they really did care for you. Even now at 17, I dont even know what makes a good friend. I couldn't imagine raising a child.

Wharvey98 · Answer

Biologically it varies girl to girl, but typically women can’t safely have a child until their at least 16-18 and even then there can be complications related to age. Mentally I’d say most aren’t truly prepared for having a child until well into their 20’s.

IroncladCat7599 · Answer

I say no more than 16 because 14 is too young and harm the girl more than just give her what she wants. And 16 because I know people at the age of 16 are very hormonal😂 and would try it and stuff does happen. Not a mistake because a person's baby is not a mistake, but it's just a challenge. 16 is still a little too young to have a child due to them not being at their full potential and might stop that growth, but who can stop hormonal children😂. 18 and above would be prime, but I have met 16 year old mother's and they do fine in the future. So I chose 16

Daniela1982 · Answer

18 at the earliest. Otherwise you have statutory rape.

MzAsh · Answer

Considering mental and emotional maturity, I’d say 23. You’re still pretty immature in your early 20s to be honest. I’ve changed SO much even since 25. My tastes in men and what kind of lifestyle I want have completely changed. I’m glad I didn’t have a baby in my 20s.

dancing_in_nebulas · Answer

It all depends on how she is raised honestly.

Mental capability, is based on development. In those countries where girls as young as 12 have babies, all they are taught since birth, is how to be a mother and wife.

No schooling, no work besides farming and household stuff. Those religions and societies specifically teach that a womans sole purpose is to be a mother - and that's it.

So, a 12yr old raised in such a disciplined way to become a young mother, will have no mental issues raising her kid - especially since her probably old ass husband, will provide everything.

The struggle of young moms in more free countries, is that they aren't as disciplined, since they don't have to be moms, but have variety to choose from for their lives.

We just learn all sorts of skills, education, etc - so who wants to lose such a good kid free life young?

That's what makes it seem tragic.

In truth, a 12yr old has raised a child better than a 33yr old who let her own child starve to death while she played video games.

I say the age should be 25 at the youngest, just to give some time in more free countries, for a woman to live a little bit.

Every mom I know who has kids in their early 20's or younger, Express regret.

Not for their children, but for the better life and circumstances they could have had, if they would have waited...

purplepoppy · Answer

I'm 19 and I don't think I'm ready despite being financially well off and intelligent. I don't understand how girls who haven't even left highschool can think they're ready. But to answer the question I'd say 16 if they have support.

namino · Answer

I think that older can be more conveinent to get more ready to pregnant than teen. Teen need to take many time to consider about pregnacy before get pregnant because pregnancy is a big deal about being born of life. We need to plan so many factor such as financial to treat our baby, education for our baby and tution bugget and many more especially how stable about financial and make sure relationship as long as we are certainly in love each other. We gotta treat our child all the best as much as we can.
That's a responsible and duty of being Mom and Dad 🥰👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

PondyPand · Answer

Puberty is literally 'reaching sexual maturity, however that does NOT mean she's mentally ready, or in fact physically ready (many complications can occur), OR financially secure, which is also important!

Glue-Sniffer · Answer

My 31 year old friend is not capable of taking care of her 2 year old son. Her mom does all the work. I told her to come and visit me for a week or two and she said she couldn't handle her son without her mom around... So apparently some women can never take care of their own children.

SavvyIsCool · Answer

Honestly, I'm 16 and I can't even think about kids atm. A woman's body isn't done developing until her 20s. The exception is the breasts since they tend to grow as you both get older and if you do end up pregnant. Studies show girls who have sex during their developmental stage are more prone to certain types of cancer concerning the vaginal area- especially cervical cancer. Having sex early increases that risk.
Onto the mentality aspect, is anyone truly ready? Your brain is still developing. Teens these days are using logic at all. Because they're so young, the base their decisions off emotion. I do not think girls under the age of 18 (or older in some cases) should be allowed the oppetunity to decide if they're ready for a kid.
I don't know if I Meade any sense but-
TL;DR- teens are still going through development in both their body and brain. Having sex early can lead to cancer. Teens do not have the mental capacity to decide if they want a kid bc they act on emotion, not logic

What is the youngest age that a girl should ever have a baby under even the very best circumstances?

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