There is a growing consensus among American couples to delay marriage and pregnancy. According to the latest data culled from the National Center for Health Statistics by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, the age at first birth of mothers in the US has increased from 25.2 years in the year 2009 to 26.3 years in 2014. It is also very interesting to note that from 2000 to 2014, the percentage of women aged 30-34 who gave birth to their first child rose from 16.5% to 21.1% while that of women aged 35 and above increased from 7.4% to 9.1%. An inclination to get pregnant at a later age is becoming evident.
The decision to delay pregnancy is never taken lightly. It starts with the desire of women to have control over their bodies.
The norms of yesteryears that dictate that women should remain subservient to their husbands are becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays, a lot of women are making their presence felt in the workplace with careers on the rise. Meanwhile, women who are still in school, bound to student loans, have a pregnancy and family life farthest from their minds. They want to get over schooling as quickly as possible, jumpstart their careers, and pay off their loans.
With financial independence as the goal and the enticing comforts of life as a reward, couples are taking a hard look at the cost of raising children. The US Department of Agriculture estimates in its 2015 survey that it will take US$233,610.00 to raise a child until he reaches the age of 17. The cost estimate has not even taken into consideration yet the massive spike in inflation because of the pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine. For many couples, having children is a burden and risk that they are unwilling to be shackled with, but the delay of child-bearing reduces the likelihood of success when they are older. It is the reason why contraceptives have continued to retain their popularity and usefulness
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