It is different for everyone. I married at 22, six months after I graduated from college. I married my "high school sweetheart". He was in NO rush to have kids. I was. Guess who won? Not me! I had my daughter, Helen, when I was 28 years old. I had a decent job and there was no question about whether I was going to have to continue working. It broke my heart to go back to work when that baby was 5 weeks old. Her dad stayed with her for a week and she went to daycare at 6 weeks old. She has been just fine, though. I was lucky enough to be able to take her out of after school care when she was in the 3rd grade, as I started working from home.

Gosh, time passes so quickly and now I have an independent, well adjusted young lady for a daughter. She drives herself to high school every day and pretty much takes care of herself. She is almost 16 years old.

Our marriage did not last and when she was two, we seperated and divorced. It wasn't easy, but we did just fine, and he has been a major influence in her life. Yes, I wish I had given birth to her when I was a bit younger. I was ready and could have managed it just fine, and I hoped for more children, too, but with him, it never would have happened.

I think you have to do what works for both of you. There is a "happy medium" there, somewhere, I promise. But, like Johanna said, I would choose to make more of the time I had prior to my daughter's birth. But then, I also would not have gotten married at 22 if I could do it all over again. LOL!!!

Logan