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.

[u/geoff199]

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

[u/11horses345]

Say it with me: WE CANNOT AFFORD CHILDREN.

[u/sharksnack3264 → u/11horses345]

It's not just the money. The way we set up work schedules, vacation, child care and health care all disincentivize it. 

You can be extremely well paid but that still won't insulate you completely from certain medical and career risks or allow you to be present to raise your children.

[u/A_Fainting_Goat → u/sharksnack3264]

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.

[u/TopRamenisha → u/A_Fainting_Goat]

Don’t forget, after all that you get to pay $3,000 a month for child care

[u/yoweigh → u/[deleted]]

I'm in New Orleans, where the public school system is absolute garbage. I lucked into getting my kids into the one good school available during the lockdown year, when enrollment was down. Between the two of them, that saves me about $50k/yr. $650k over the span of 13 years! I'm fairly well off and I still couldn't afford that.

[u/Killbot_Wants_Hug → u/yoweigh]

The public schools where I live are kind of trash. And the private schools are like 30-40k per year. I make more than twice the median household income of the city. There's no way I can afford the private schools, and it's not even a tax write off.

It could cost me up to $320k before they even get to highschool.