2 ms·

Its partially this but also starting older kills off the 3+ kid families skewing the birthrate. My particular sitution my wife and i figured out late that all t

Its partially this but also starting older kills off the 3+ kid families skewing the birthrate. My particular sitution my wife and i figured out late that all the fear mongering is bullshit amd not having kids makes you miss such an important and fulfilling part of being human. We had our first kid at 37, second kid at 39 and now have been trying for a year for our third kid but not having lick leaving expensive ivf as our fertility which means in practicality we are done. Also there was a massive upswing in inmarried people in my cohort vs older genertions that also kills fertility and is missed in this discussion

anon291 2y ago
Yup. We are sold the story from a young age that when you're 'ready' to have kids, you can just have them. This is false. While humans on average will breed enough to grow a population slowly over time (as demonstrated by history/pre-history), the truth is that for any individual couple, humans are actually not that good at breeding. The chance of pregnancy each cycle is 20-25% ... not that high, and then there's the miscarriage rate, as well as the breastfeeding which can hold off fertility for months. All things considered, there's not that many opportunities for pregnancy. Indeed, a study found that if you want a 90% chance of having three, you need to start trying at 23! This is so off from the story we feed teenagers. Imagine getting pregnant the year after you graduate college? Most kids would think that's nuts, but if you want a good chance at a normal family size, then you really have to. https://www.thetimes.com/article/want-three-kids-then-best-start-at-23-qhvmxgftmw8 https://www.thetimes.com/article/want-three-kids-then-best-s...
- snapplebobapple 2y ago
  Which wasnt a problem when we didnt have birth control and incorrectly believed religion so we got married way before 23, stayed together and had squat for entertainment options mak*ng sex highly likely. I love my birth control, entertainment, and atheism so i really hope we stumble onto a sustainable path that keeps those and avoids the old ways soon.

anon291 2y ago

Yup. We are sold the story from a young age that when you're 'ready' to have kids, you can just have them. This is false. While humans on average will breed enough to grow a population slowly over time (as demonstrated by history/pre-history), the truth is that for any individual couple, humans are actually not that good at breeding. The chance of pregnancy each cycle is 20-25% ... not that high, and then there's the miscarriage rate, as well as the breastfeeding which can hold off fertility for months. All things considered, there's not that many opportunities for pregnancy. Indeed, a study found that if you want a 90% chance of having three, you need to start trying at 23! This is so off from the story we feed teenagers. Imagine getting pregnant the year after you graduate college? Most kids would think that's nuts, but if you want a good chance at a normal family size, then you really have to. https://www.thetimes.com/article/want-three-kids-then-best-start-at-23-qhvmxgftmw8 https://www.thetimes.com/article/want-three-kids-then-best-s...

snapplebobapple 2y ago
Which wasnt a problem when we didnt have birth control and incorrectly believed religion so we got married way before 23, stayed together and had squat for entertainment options mak*ng sex highly likely. I love my birth control, entertainment, and atheism so i really hope we stumble onto a sustainable path that keeps those and avoids the old ways soon.