In case y’all missed it…
Donald Trump is reportedly brainstorming ways to “fix” America’s declining birth rate. Among the ideas being floated? A one-time $5,000 incentive check for new moms and, wait for it, menstrual cycle classes.
Here’s my two cents (probably worth a penny, but humor me):
If fixing the U.S. birth rate was as easy as handing out five grand and a pamphlet on ovulation, we’d be swimming in baby registries and diaper blowouts. Spoiler: we’re not.
America’s birth rate has been declining for over a decade, reaching record lows in 2023. And contrary to what some may believe, it’s not because women suddenly forgot how cycles work. So what’s really going on?
1. Childcare Costs More Than a Used Car
Let’s start with the basics. In this country, childcare often costs more than your rent—and in many places, more than a monthly mortgage. The average cost of center-based daycare for infants in the U.S. is over $14,000 per year, according to the Economic Policy Institute. That’s per child.
Families aren’t sitting around wondering if they want more kids. They’re doing the math and realizing they literally can’t afford them.
(Unless you’re me. 🫠)
2. The Mental Load Is Crushing
Even if you can afford another kid, there’s the question of energy—specifically, the energy it takes to run a household while also keeping your job, your kids, your marriage, and your sanity intact.
Moms everywhere are walking around with invisible spreadsheets in their heads: picture day, pediatrician visits, the milk situation, field trip permission slips. Adding another baby? That’s not just a life change—it’s a logistical invasion.
3. People Are Waiting—and Not to Party
It’s not that young people don’t want kids. It’s that they want stability first: emotional, financial, professional. The average age of first-time moms is now around 30, up from 21 in 1972.
Turns out it’s tough to plan for a baby when your “starter” apartment has no heat and your landlord thinks fixing the stove is optional.
4. Healthcare in America: A Horror Show
Here’s a fun (read: terrifying) stat: the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. According to the CDC, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.
On top of that, we still don’t guarantee paid parental leave. Healing and bonding are apparently luxuries, not rights.
For what it’s worth, my husband Alex just got 12 weeks of paid parental leave—for the first time ever—in 2025. Which is… the absolute bare minimum.
5. Reproductive Rights Are Under Attack
When you start rolling back access to abortion and contraception, people adjust. They get IUDs. They schedule vasectomies. They stop taking chances.
If you’re trying to encourage more births while also making it harder to control when and how people reproduce, you’re sending mixed signals at best—and flat-out failing at worst.
6. The World Is on Fire. Literally.
There’s also the small matter of climate anxiety. Young people are increasingly asking: Should we bring a child into a world facing rising sea levels, extreme weather, and collapsing ecosystems?
If the future feels bleak, the motivation to raise the next generation takes a nosedive.
So What Would Help?
If we’re serious about reversing the birth rate decline, here’s a wild idea:
- Affordable childcare
- Paid family leave
- Universal healthcare
- Reproductive freedom
- Support for working parents
- Basic dignity for mothers
You know—actual solutions.
But sure, let’s start with menstrual classes.
Bless his heart. ❤️
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