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Kirstie Allsopp: "No One's Lain On Their Deathbed And Wished They Had Fewer Children"

The Location Location Location presenter really wants women to have babies younger

Another day another smug celeb reminding women that the ultimate joy in life is children and that they really shouldn't delay popping a few out.

Yes, Kirstie Allsopp is back with her public service announcement that women shouldn't leave it too long to have children.

Kirstie Allsopp has suggested women should stop putting off having children (REX)
Kirstie Allsopp has suggested women should stop putting off having children (REX)

The presenter has previously made it clear that she would encourage women to forget about University and get themselves into a flat and pregnant ASAP, and now she's expanded on her thoughts, saying: "Nobody's ever lain on their death bed and said, 'I wish I'd had fewer children'."

In an interview with Fabulous magazine, the 43-year-old mum-of-two added, "There are all sorts of reasons why someone might want to mute me, but I'm not wrong."

Last year she told the Telegraph that if she had daughters she would advise them to have children young.

"[I would tell them] 'Darling, do you know what? Don't go to university. Start work straight after school, stay at home, save up your deposit – I'll help you, let's get you into a flat.'

"'And then we can find you a nice boyfriend and you can have a baby by the time you're 27.'"

The Duchess of Cambridge had both her children over the age of 30 (PA)
The Duchess of Cambridge had both her children over the age of 30 (PA)

Kirstie's heart is in no doubt the right place - she loves being a mum and she's seen amongst her friends the devastation that infertility can cause, but this simplified advice doesn't feel very helpful to those of us a long way from being able to 'have it all'.

With careers and finances stalled by almost a decade of economic insecurity, combined with an increasing number of initiatives aimed at helping women achieve the career and education goals they have, the age of first time mums in the UK is going up.

But though leaving it too long can be a disaster for those unlucky enough to have to deal with infertility, for many women waiting until their 30s makes much more sense. There's no point rushing into motherhood before you're ready for it.

It's impossible to know how having a family and becoming a mother will affect you, so if there are things you you want to achieve that you're not sure will be compatible with motherhood, putting it off a few years is the only real solution. And though fertility rates decrease in your 30s, it's not quite the cliff edge we're often told.

Perhaps instead of making women worry about ruining their lives by giving themselves a few extra years to get ready for children, women such as Allsopp would do better to give more constructive advice about fertility and what you actually need to know if you aren't ready for motherhood in your 20s.

Because let's face it, some of us aren't. And there's nothing wrong with that.

[Fertilty Myths Busted: How To Actually Get Pregnant]
[Women 'Don't Know How To Get Pregnant']