I'm a 22-year old female that was accepted into a good graduate program, and I have a 21-year old boyfriend in a similar situation (he's a year younger than most people in our grade.) This is the first relationship for both of us, but we've discussed the future and plan to be together long-term.

I've read many things, however, about how starting a family early is better...healthier for the mother, the baby, and the parents have more energy to take care of the child. My boyfriend and I both want to finish graduate school first though. We both are ambitious and quite good in our fields.

I'm asking TRP because when I talk to my friends, none of them plan on having a child until their late 30s.

Edit: Another way to phrase this...if your girlfriend was in this situation, what would you expect her to do?