 Fertility = the ability to have children  Total Fertility Rate = the estimated # of children that would be born to each woman according to fertility patterns of the current year  Canada’s current fertility rate is below replacement rate, meaning we are not having enough children to replace our population

 Urbanization & Industrialization (late 1800s) Expected to raise children on a “family wage”, improved healthcare reduced infant/maternal mortality, various methods of birth control used  Mandatory Schooling (1870) & Child Labour Legislation (1900s) Children financially dependent on their parents for longer  WWI & The Great Depression DECLINE

 Post WWII “baby boom ” Economic prosperity; almost full employment, women encouraged to return to domestic roles, government pronatalist policies created e.g., the family allowance, a monthly payment per child to all mothers INCLINE

 Legalization of Birth Control & Equality Baby boomer’s children postponed parenthood until they were “ready”, birth control pill available in the late 60s & legalized in 1969, gender equality combined with increased education & greater labour force participation made it costly for women to stay at home & have children DECLINE

 On average women & men are waiting to have children  Average age for 1 st time mothers has increased from 23.4 years in 1976 to 27.7 years in 2002  1 st mothers over the age of 30 has increased & under the age of 30 has decreased  Delayed reproduction is linked to delayed life transitions like leaving home, entering the workforce as well as cohabitating/marrying

Delaying Parenthood  1 in 5 babies in Canada has a mother age 35 or older  Increased risks of;  Many people believe as long as you are healthy you are fertile & if not reproductive technologies can help, as a result many people end up “unintentionally childless” meaning they expected to have children but waited too long - Preterm birth - Gestational diabetes - Chromosomal disorders like Downs Syndrome - Giving birth by means of c-section - Placenta Previa

Infertility  Infertility = the inability to produce children  Rates of infertility have been on the rise, current estimates show that 16% of couples experience infertility  The older the women the higher the chance of fertility issues  The increase is linked to delayed pregnancy, increasing rates of obesity, heavy drinking among females, increase in STIs, decreased sperm count in males  For women over the age of 40 the failure rate of ART (assisted reproductive technology) is 90%!