A professor and doctoral student at Duke University came up with a logical mathematical model that can advise women on whether to have kids early (in their 20s) or wait until their career is established (in late 30s or even later).
Interestingly enough, the model does not provide a univeral answer for all women. Instead it looks at three main factors in a woman's life: Professional, Social, and Familial. Depending on the priorities for a specific woman, the model will provide an ideal time to conceive. It even factors in age-related concerns of diminishing fertility or an increased likelihood of conceiving a child with a genetic abnormality. In some scenarios, the model suggests that having a child much earlier may be a better long-term solution than waiting until a woman is more established in her career.
The study has created quite a buzz on The Juggle where women are trying to support or refute the study by anecdotal experience (forgetting that the researchers clearly state there is no cookie-cutter answer). I personally think the model is totally and utterly fascinating and would love to get my hands on it as a part of our decision-making process to have (or not have) more children.
I just wonder how they'll factor in that more babies in this country are unplanned than planned or that women are getting married later in life. My lovely child was an "accident" after an antibiotic interacted with efficacy of my birth control. He was born 5 days before my 26th birthday. And there was no factoring in whether or not this was the ideal time to have a child. We were having a baby, whether we liked it or not.
But... the analytical, pragmatic me wants to see if, even though we didn't pick the timing, how having a baby earlier or later would affect my career.
