Family and friends should avoid pressuring couples about having children and respect their personal decisions and timing. Parenting is an immense responsibility that each individual or couple must feel fully ready and willing to take on.

1. Chapter 14: Considering Parenting
Kassandra Raposo
HE 210 OL
Women’s Health

2. Unlike today, years ago, things like
the lack of contraceptives and also
societal expectations of women, meant
that all women who were fertile were
expected to have children. Now a days,
things are different. There are several
factors like birth control and abortions
for example, that give women the
option to whether or not they want
children.

3. Content
- Things to consider
- Age & Fertility
- Influences on your choice
- Deciding not to have a child
- Trying to Conceive
- Adoption

4. Things to consider
When thinking about becoming a parent, there are several things you and your partner
should consider :
- Having a stable job
- Do you have a stable household?
- Any household members/partner abusive in any way? (physically/verbally abusive,
alcohol/drug abuse)
- Family medical problems that could be passed down to the child
- Juggling work and child care
- If single, would a child affect any new intimate relationships?
- Having health care insurance
- What kind of community would you like to raise this child in?
- Would you have support if you or your child developed a disability?
- Age (too young, too old)

5. Age & Fertility
Today, women are beginning to have children at older ages because of career,
educational opportunities and economic concerns. 1 in 5 women in the United
States are having their first child at 35 years old. There are reasons as to why
this could be a problem :
- A 25 year old has about a 25% chance of becoming pregnant but this percentage begins to
drop in the late 20’s and decreases. By age 40, they have about a 5% chance of conceiving per
cycle
- A younger women is more likely to get pregnant in fewer cycles
- The older you are not only can give you trouble to conceive, but also to carry to full term
- Chromosomal abnormalities, (the cause of more than half of all miscarriages) are more
likely as we age
- A 25 year old has a 12-15% chance of miscarriage each time she becomes pregnant, while a
woman in her 40’s has a 50% chance
There are many women who do get pregnant in their 30’s and 40’s and have no
problem at all but as we get older there are more risks and chances of
miscarriages and abnormalities. Something to keep in mind.

6. Influences
Many influences can affect your decision on having a baby. It is important to
make sure it is the right time for you and your significant other, or whether you
even want to have a child or not.
- Many women let nature decide by not using contraception
- Your parents may be pressuring you to have babies
- The friends you surround yourself with may have children, so you are feeling
the pressure.
- Your own partner may pressure you into it and you may feel you are forced to
in fear they will leave you if you do not
- Worrying that you won’t be a good parent may also affect your choice on
deciding on whether or not to become a parent

7. Deciding not to have a child
Striking Quote
“Once my husband and I had been married a few years, there were constant questions about
when we would start a family - particularly from or parents, whose friends were all
grandparents. Then there was additional pressure when our friends were all having children -
this changed the dynamics of our friendships and was an unexpected result of deciding not to
have children”.
- In my opinion, family and friends should leave this
sensitive subject alone. When the couple is ready, they
will come forward with the news that they are trying
to conceive. Little do friends and family know, they
could have been having trouble conceiving and were - Our culture sees that having a child is
trying different options. After the hassling and a part of being a woman. Many people
hounding, the dynamics of their friendships had assume that a woman cannot feel truly
changed and they decided to not have children. fulfilled if they have not experienced
Maybe they felt too pressured and fed up and gave up being a mother. Many women who
on the whole baby situation. choose to not have children seek
support groups who support their
decisions.

8. Trying to Conceive
Once deciding to get pregnant, charting your menstrual cycle will make it
easier for women to learn about their “fertility” signals and increase their
chances of getting pregnant. Another good thing to do is meet with your
health care provider. They will help you learn about how to prepare for
pregnancy.
If conceiving seems troublesome, there are also other options like adoption
that will be discussed on the next slide.

9. Adoption
If unable to conceive, or have a medical condition that makes it unsafe for
childbirth, or simply choose not to become pregnant, adoption is something
that can be considered.
- Adoption is definitely
something expensive. To
help, federal government
provides a tax credit of up
to $13,170 per child.
- Women
entering
parenthood
through adoption
need just as much
support as a
women carrying
her own child.

10. Question of the Chapter:
What is your opinion on family and friends
pushing the issue of having a child onto a
couple?