Does this bother you?

There’s a post going around right now about normalizing having kids in your late 30s, ranting about how some women in their late 20s are worried about not being able to start having children because they’re single. Why are these people so focused on what other people want or are concerned about? And there’s so much hate on this post (and on the internet generally) for women who want to have kids before 30. Of course, all this is topped off with the classic anecdotal evidence of so and so’s mom having kids at 43, and someone having 80 bajillion kids from 35-45—statistics be damned!

I’m 26 and happen to have unexplained infertility—my husband and I considered waiting until later (we have long career training so our “final” careers won’t start until our late 30s) but decided to start having kids because we want to and are stable. Lo and behold, we had trouble conceiving! I would’ve been so pissed if I gave into society’s pressure to delay childbearing because of the shaming that happens for women, and then couldn’t reach our family goals because of it. Can’t we just do what is right for us without people passing judgement, whether that’s waiting or having kids younger? Damn.