Preconditions to parenthood: changes over time and generations

Abstract

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The pros and cons of fertility awareness and information: a generational, Swedish perspective

“…However, as we and several others have shown, many people, including the highly educated, do not know how rapidly female fertility declines and that medically assisted reproduction cannot help everyone. We have also noted in a previous article (Bodin et al, 2021) that some young people have the impression that the biological reproductive timeline has been extended as life expectancy has increased, which unfortunately is not the case. As concluded in several previous studies (see e.g., Harper et al, 2017;Hviid Malling et al, 2020) better education in high school is warranted.…”

Parenthood aspirations and understanding of factors that affect the chance of achieving them: A population survey

“…Taken together, this study suggests that people of reproductive age in Australia have inadequate knowledge about the factors that affect the chance of achieving their parenthood goals. While fertility decision-making and timing of childbearing are influenced by a multitude of factors ( Bodin et al, 2021 , Boivin et al, 2018 ), more awareness that age, particularly female age, is the most influential determinant of chance of pregnancy might prompt some to reprioritize their life goals and start trying to conceive at an earlier age. Fertility health education initiatives are needed to allow people to make informed decisions about the timing of childbearing and reduce the risk of unfulfilled parenthood aspirations.…”

Fertility Postponement, Economic Uncertainty, and the Increasing Income Prerequisites of Parenthood

“…At the same time, individualization has shifted the responsibility of investing in and taking care of children from the community and the state to parents. Parents' need to carefully plan their life course and their increasing responsibility have likely augmented the importance of achieving a stable economic foundation before becoming a parent (Bodin et al 2021). These developments may in particular have increased the importance of economic certainty in fertility decision-making, as economic certainty facilitates the planning of future life courses, particularly in times when potential parents have less of a safety net available (Guzzo and Hayford 2020).…”

“…Some preliminary support for these hypotheses can be found in earlier research. Bodin et al (2021) conducted a qualitative study in Sweden that directly examined changes in the perceived requirements of parenthood. They found that younger participants voiced higher expectations and greater demands regarding the economic (as well as other) preconditions of parenthood than older participants.…”