In other words there's no "best" or "perfect" time to have a child. There is only when you feel personally ready. So maybe the conversation can turn from "everyone should have babies when they're in their 20's! It's awesome!" to "why do so many people today feel like they have to wait until they're 30 to have a baby?"
I think that would be a more constructive conversation than the one people in my cohort of people with kids wants to have.
"In other words there's no "best" or "perfect" time to have a child. There is only when you feel personally ready"
Yup. And it takes 2 to feel ready and to be sure, to do it together. At least for some time, even though a divorce is not the end of the world, if done right (very rare), but it can be for the children, if it means war between the parents and using the children as a weapon to hurt the other side. That is way too common.
So yes, having kids can be awesome and meaningful. But it is a very serious commitment, maybe the most serious there is, where my advice would be, don't do it, if you don't feel ready.
(I felt ready, but it was and still is very very tough at times)
I think that would be a more constructive conversation than the one people in my cohort of people with kids wants to have.