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 eno

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...