One in five mothers believe they had a baby ‘too late’ in life, according to a new study.
Researchers who surveyed 2,000 mums aged 18 and upwards, found many regret not having a child when they were younger. More than half who feel this way believe they struggled to keep up with their little one due to their age and one in six think they would have coped better with the pressures of being a new mum if they’d become a parent sooner.
The poll, which identified 26 as the perfect age to become a first-time mother, was commissioned by MTV for a new series of Teen Mom UK. Amber Butler, who features in the show, said: “These results show that whilst there are many challenges with being a young mum, there are so many more positives. I wouldn’t change having Brooklyn at the age I did – who wouldn’t want even more time to spend with their baby.”
Carried out by OnePoll.com, the research also identified 38 years old as the threshold for being regarded as an ‘old mum’, while becoming a parent at 25 or younger would officially make you a ‘young mum’ according to those polled. The results also suggests there is now a trend for modern parents to have children much later in life – half said they were older than their own mum was when they themselves became a parent.