Timing. How do you know when the time is right? Many comedians depend on timing to make their jokes work. Investment bankers have to know the right time to invest and to pull out. But knowing when to have children is a little more complicated. There is no audience to test your punch line on and no research to show how the market is working, getting the timing right for pregnancy is based on feeling.

However, although the biological clock is still ticking, it seems to have slowed down for many women as they are choosing to wait until they are in their 30s or even their 40s before they choose to have a child. Fifty years ago this would have been almost unheard of and definitely would have been frowned upon by society. But now we are living until we are almost 80 years old waiting an extra five, ten or even fifteen years doesn't seem like a big deal, in fact it could actually be described as a sensible lifestyle choice.

Seeing as most women don't leave university until they are 21-23, they then have to climb the first rung on the career ladder which may take two years, then they need to start earning decent money, find a husband and get a house and before you know it 30 is on the horizon.

Careers are becoming more valued parts of life for women. Since the late 1980s, women also wanted to have a career they could be proud of that wasn't cut short or interrupted by having a child. With new laws regarding maternity leave, women can now have their cake and eat it too. The divide between the sexes is no longer so clear cut. Especially now that some men can take paternity leave.

Having a child is an expensive lifetime commitment and waiting until you, as a couple, are more financially secure is an intelligent and practical decision. It is important to bring a child into a happy home and younger parents often can't afford to buy, so have to rent and this could mean moving more frequently. Older parents are more likely to own their own home, albeit with a mortgage.

If you’re looking for a mortgage then banks like Alliance and Leicester are still offering excellent deals on mortgages, in spite of some of the harsher rules imposed because of the recession. A child's first home will always be in their memories so, as parents it is essential that you make this environment as happy and stable as possible.