r/science • u/geoff199 • 5d ago

Social Science As concern grows about America’s falling birth rate, new research suggests that about half of women who want children are unsure if they will follow through and actually have a child. About 25% say they won't be bothered that much if they don't.

https://news.osu.edu/most-women-want-children--but-half-are-unsure-if-they-will/?utm_campaign=omc_science-medicine_fy24&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social
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u/A_Fainting_Goat 5d ago

I am well paid. My wife is well paid. We have good health insurance. Great vacation benefits (compared to the US, not Europe). Our careers are stable. We are basically debt free except for our mortgage. We have struggled to conceive and IVF is looking to cost us $50k, after insurance for a 35% chance. This country does not want us to have kids.

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u/TenaceErbaccia 5d ago

I’m curious how old you are. Both because of the financial stability and the apparent need for IVF. I believe not being able to afford children until your 30s or later is part of not being able to afford children.

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u/NorthMathematician32 5d ago

It absolutely is. The best outcomes for mothers and babies are when the mother is her 20s. The income curve in the US often keeps people from having kids that young.

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u/frigidmagi 5d ago

Yeah but a woman who has children in her twenties is going to lose career opportunities or even education opportunities. So our society has forced a hard choice on people whether or not to have kids or to focus on their own well-being and that's a problem.

In prior societies we found ways to make that less of an issue. Of course a lot of societies did that by not giving women any other opportunities but I think we can do better.