#family-planning

#family-planning

Soon after I had my son, I was shocked when someone asked when I was going to give him a sibling. Economic strain and limited support systems make raising a child a very big commitment. We might be one and done with our family. We want our son to have it all, and I want a life, too. "So, when are you going to have another child?" I was freshly postpartum the first time I heard this question, and I couldn't even fathom a response.

I just told my partner (we've been discussing this in therapy for a year, so it does not feel out of the blue, at least not to me) that I knew having a second child was the right choice for me, and thus I would be pursuing it. If he couldn't get on board, I said, it would be best if we split up.

We wanted to have four, Kirk said. And I was praying to God that I was pregnant when he got murdered. Oh, wow. I thought of that once, Kelly said. Whether it was meant to be or whether we'd get news like that. I know, Kirk said while dabbing her eyes. I was like, oh, goodness, that was going to be the ultimate blessing out of this catastrophe.

More than 80% of donor funding for family planning comes from countries that have announced aid cuts, according to a report released last week by the global partnership FP2030. The US was the biggest donor, accounting for 41% of the total between 2020 and 2024. The fall in aid has led to the closure of maternal and reproductive health services, with devastating consequences in countries that relied heavily on USAID.

When technology executive Logan Maley returned to the office after her first child in 2018, she had an ideal setup: She worked four days a week in a private office with a mini fridge and blackout blinds so she could pump milk at her desk, but her heart still broke being away from her infant daughter. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. She could have breakfast and lunch with her daughter and put her down for naps.

On a clear but chilly autumn day, Poa Pohjola and her partner Wilhelm Blomberg are relaxing in their Helsinki apartment while their baby naps outside on the balcony, in traditional Finnish style. "They sleep very well outside, in colder degrees, I think," Pohjola said with a laugh. "Or, that's how I grew up thinking." Pohjola is 38 and Blomberg is 35. They've been together for about three years, and they started talking about having a baby early on - even though Pohjola had once thought she might never have kids.

Families in the U.S. and around the world are having fewer children as people make profoundly different decisions about their lives. NPR's series Population Shift: How Smaller Families Are Changing the World explores the causes and implications of this trend. At an indoor play center in Cheyenne, Wyo., a sea of toddlers throw around colorful blocks and balls. Grace Moreno, who is 21, is there with her 11-month-old son, who is dressed in pajamas with little firetrucks on them. "It's the only free place, so it's worth it," she said.

My husband and I love kids, and we had always planned to have our own. But now we're in our early 30s and have realized kids are probably not in the cards financially-unless we can get some child care help from my in-laws. My husband and I have the regular problems everyone has: crushing student loans and inability to afford more than a one-bedroom apartment.

"I went to get my vasectomy consult today, and they gave me paperwork for different options to look over, and I am so annoyed with this list I almost blew a gasket."

"Americans, including LGBTQ Americans, should have the freedom to start or expand a family without additional financial and systemic barriers that make it harder to afford reproductive health care services. This bill is crucial in correcting outdated tax laws in order to support LGBTQ individuals in family planning care," Schiff said in a press release.

Even with the federal policy limbo, the McLeods said IVF is an important resource for millions of families like theirs.

Having long-term financial goals can help you sharpen your financial discipline, especially if success is tied to major benefits like significant lifestyle flexibility.

"I refused the offer because I was concerned it would make my son feel illegitimate, plus it left me with little financial security should anything happen to Musk."