Most experts would say there's no one right time to start a family. But there are both advantages and disadvantages to giving birth at different ages: In your 20s, for instance, you'll have more energy to run after and care for your child but fewer financial resources and less personal life experience on which to draw; in your late 30s and 40s you may be more established financially but have a tougher time getting and staying pregnant and, afterward, keeping up with an active baby and toddler.

What follows is a look at the pros and cons of pregnancy at different ages.

Laura Flynn McCarthy writes often about women's health. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their two sons.