'There's no right age to become a mum'

At any time, having children will bring misgivings as well as joy. Four women share the pros and cons of becoming a mother early or later in life

- By Alice Grebot

Lynsey Bleakley, 46, was 24 when she had her daughter, Yazmin. She runs an award-winning bakehouse near Bangor, County Down (bumbleandgoose.co.uk).

From the moment I discovered I was pregnant with Yazmin, I was over the moon. She was very much planned for and very much wanted. I was married at 21, had a job in a bank, and that desire to be a mother was a huge part of my identity.

Yazmin was a contented baby and I took to motherhood with ease. Being younger when I had her, I think I went with the flow more, as I had no established routine of life yet. I just took things as they came. Having a baby is a huge adjustment, but such a joy as well.

Even then, 24 was considered young to have a baby. I only had one friend who already had a baby, and another, who was 12 years older than me, was pregnant at the same time as me with her fourth child. She had a very positive influence on me, as she was so laid-back, having already had three children. I also received a huge amount of support and guidance from my own mother. Looking back, I wonder if it helped that I wasn't surrounded by lots of friends with babies, as it meant there weren't constant comparisons being made.

Far from hindering my career, having a baby when I did actually led me to one. I was inspired to become a nurse and then a health visitor following my own experiences after Yazmin was born - a career that I continued for 18 years.

For me, having Yazmin in my early 20s was absolutely the right time. Lots of my friends in their 30s have young children and seem to be permanently worried and exhausted, whereas when I had Yazmin, I had endless energy, far less capacity for worry and was unfazed by those early sleepless nights.