https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 01 May 2026 21:40:18 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-551386 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:08:13 +0000 immabeetoo 551386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Interesting! I turned 25 the day before LO was born. My sister went through IVF and being scared of infertility and wanting my older parents to get to know our kids factored heavily into us having one earlier. I had no problems conceiving - I am thankful and feel lucky. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-551287 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:44:22 +0000 Dandelion 551287@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my son I had 3 cycles of clomid to help me ovulate cause I just wasn't. This baby I have in me now was a happy mistake. I had my iud out a few months earlier and I was having long but regular cycles. We just weren't bring careful cause neither of us expected me to get knocked up given my history.</p> <p>My ds is from my ex husband so we joke that my uterus just likes my current dh better lol. I tend to agree with my uterus if that's the case lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-551280 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:36:04 +0000 Mrs.Someone 551280@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@marionberry: Thanks for voting! I'd put that in 'blah' because you had some major interventions. For the record, I voted 'blah' myself, even though we haven't quite hit a year, and I haven't been using traditional medicine yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-551173 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:45:11 +0000 marionberry 551173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted Other, because we got pregnant in less than a year, but it took interventions (lots of SAs, an HSG, and pregnant with Clomid/IUI). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550957 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:02:04 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 550957@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Modern Daisy: I think the most important thing is that you are doing what is right for you and your family and that others are as well :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550951 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:55:46 +0000 Modern Daisy 550951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This might be veering off topic a little and I'll admit I didn't read either article, but I just wanted to chime in and say a huge reason why DH and I decided to have kids now (at 31) is because we feel as though people like us are either waiting longer or deciding not to have kids at all because of economic issues. Having kids is definitely going to be a huge strain on us financially, but I don't think that makes it 'more responsible' to refrain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550919 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:13:11 +0000 plaidpants 550919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: I know! It was almost worse to find out that she wasn't some "hair on fire" alarmist who thinks we should all be having babies at 18. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550916 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:11:20 +0000 plaidpants 550916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: Another positive fertility story here! We decided to start trying in March 2011 and pregnant the first time out. </p> <p>I guess maybe there just isn't as much support needed when you have a pretty easy time with TTC so maybe you don't hear those stories as much? And like @Mrs. Jacks said, there are a lot if people here having a tough time, so I don't want to come across as insensitive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550896 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:44:08 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 550896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: just finished listening... And you are right, she does seem absolutely lovely and used lots of qualifying statements that made her seem less strident than in the article :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550892 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 MaisyMay 550892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't read either article.<br /> I'm 26 and my LO is 6 weeks old. We started trying in May of 2010 and got pregnant on our first try, but miscarried around 8-9 weeks. It took 7 long cycles after that before we got our positive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550839 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:01:21 +0000 Mrs.Someone 550839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: Wow, what a sobering article. I don't have time to read the whole thing though, its quite long! Definitely works with this poll better than my original article, thanks for sharing :)</p> <p>@Mrs. Jacks: You should share your story! I think it would be encouraging to women in their late 30s/early 40s. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550836 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:59:02 +0000 plaidpants 550836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Check it out! </p> <p><a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/01/17/169497668/grayest-generation-older-parenthood-in-the-u-s" rel="nofollow">http://www.npr.org/2013/01/17/169497668/grayest-generation-older-parenthood-in-the-u-s</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550830 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:56:16 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 550830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: I'm her target too... but she did get a lot right. It's just so interesting that how you word things can put a completely different spin on it. When was she on Fresh Air? I'd love to podcast it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550829 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:55:42 +0000 Maysprout 550829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't agree with a lot of the economic conclusions of the first and the second article def tries to make it look as dismal as possible but they're still interesting to think about it. </p> <p>I think this country, not necessarily just govt but peoples attitudes, needs to do a better job at supporting working families. I had my first LO just before 30 and got a lot of pushback from people in my field. But my boss at the time was in her early 40s and just starting a family. But just because that was her way doesn't mean it's the right way for every career minded woman. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550827 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:54:55 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 550827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: FWIW, I was 38 and we were not even really trying yet. We had just gotten married and planned to wait 6 mo-1 year before trying for our little one. I don't share my story often because it might be seen as very painful and in your face to those who are experiencing infertility :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550824 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:53:38 +0000 plaidpants 550824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: It seems like the author knows her audience and knows exactly what buttons to push to get people freaked out. But maybe that's just me?! I think I'm her target audience :)</p> <p>I heard her interviewed on Fresh Air and she seemed pretty down to earth and not like a total lunatic. I tried to keep in mind that she definitely is spinning the research in a specific direction. She's a writer, not a scientist and it's TNR, not JAMA! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550822 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:52:43 +0000 Mrs.Someone 550822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@spaniellove: @yoursilverlining: @Mrs. Jacks: @plaidpants: You're all right, this article isn't directly related to my question (I forgot to mention that in my post). It just got me thinking about whether or not infertility is a contributing cause or not. Also, it seems that a majority of the HB bloggers had trouble (to the point where I was wanting a NORMAL story when I started TTC), so it made me curious if it has become the "norm" in our society. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550803 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:47:27 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 550803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: I mean I get it. She had a baby with some special needs, so to her having kids at an older age necessarily correlates with that sort of outcome. Now maybe I'm too cavalier having had a very healthy child at an older age than her, but she may be overstating a very true point :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550792 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:45:07 +0000 plaidpants 550792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Yes, I definitely took that article with a big ol' grain of salt! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550784 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:42:07 +0000 plaidpants 550784@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I'm in the same boat (early 30s, college-educated, living in MA). I was 30 when I had my LO and I was pretty concerned about my fertility, but I was lucky to get pregnant right away. I'm already freaking out about having a second and that article did not help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550782 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:41:22 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 550782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: I read the whole article. She gets some of it right, but some of her assimilation and understanding of the medical facts seems a bit --well-- simplistic.</p> <p>Yes, there are health issues associated with our aging parent population, but she certainly is picking the most inflammatory of the studies. Most researchers acknowledge that the rise in autism is multi-factorial.</p> <p>Her solutions seem a little less simplistic than those from the above article, however.</p> <p>Oh and I say this as a mama who had her first baby at 38 and fit the demographic in the second article perfectly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550781 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:41:02 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 550781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't read the article yet, but I will. To answer the poll, I'm on the "lots of time, lots of interventions" category. My DH and I have been TTC since May 2011. He's had surgery to treat varicoceles. We also have gone through 2 unsucessful IUIs. We just started working with a RE and are probably on the path to IVF. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550772 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:37:45 +0000 Foodnerd81 550772@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: I didn't read the whole article yet (will when I get home), but I have read similar types. It's really interesting. There was also one where the writer was talking about young adults, just in their 20s, having to care for aging parents when they themselves hadn't even established themselves, which was interesting. </p> <p>I was 31 when we started trying and consider myself very lucky that it only took 3 months. I very much fit the demographics though-- college educated living in a big city on the East Coast-- all my friends are starting to have babies right around the same time as us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550747 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:24:39 +0000 plaidpants 550747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if anyone else has read this article in The New Republic, but it has some pretty scary info on fertility trends. It's more about people who are waiting to have kids and then experiencing fertility issues: <a href="http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/magazine/110861/how-older-parenthood-will-upend-american-society#" rel="nofollow">http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/magazine/110861/how-older-parenthood-will-upend-american-society#</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550739 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:22:33 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 550739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow! I couldn't disagree with that article more. I won't rebut the author point by point (he writes for the Weekly Standard, to give you a clue about his viewpoint)... but the article doesn't have anything to do with infertility, rather points out the economic and social issues that contribute to the choice to have fewer children.</p> <p>He stopped short of saying women should get out of the work force, but he's prescription of a flat tax system and dismantling social security should give you a window into his perspective! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550738 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:22:06 +0000 BelugaBean 550738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were NTNT for about three months when I got pregnant so we definitely had it easy. I do know a few people though who had it easy the first time around and had a much harder time getting pregnant the second time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550737 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:22:06 +0000 yoursilverlining 550737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don’t think that article means fertility rates in terms of trouble conceiving – I think they mean more in terms of why people are electing to have fewer kids; that’s what it seemed at least.</p> <p>Oh jinx @Spaniellove! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550736 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:21:04 +0000 spaniellove 550736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>After reading this article, I think they mean fertility in terms of how many children people are having due to social/financial reasons, not so much fertility vs. infertility. But you have a good question here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550733 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:17:52 +0000 Mrs.Someone 550733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FutureMrsMcK: Absolutely you "earned" those months, I didn't start my count over either!</p> <p>Also, for anyone still reading, I think having a M/C automatically drops you out of "easy peasy", even if it was less than 6 months until sticky baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/declining-fertility-rates-in-the-us#post-550728 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:16:07 +0000 Mrs.Someone 550728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>And just a side note, I'm not trying to say up to 6 months is actually easy! </p>