{"id":2692691,"date":"2026-10-28T08:02:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T12:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignyou-can-be-your-career-obsessed-friends-on-ramp-to-motherhood\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T08:02:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T12:02:01","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignyou-can-be-your-career-obsessed-friends-on-ramp-to-motherhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignyou-can-be-your-career-obsessed-friends-on-ramp-to-motherhood\/","title":{"rendered":"You Can Be Your Career-Obsessed Friends\u2019 On-Ramp To Motherhood"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignyou-can-be-your-career-obsessed-friends-on-ramp-to-motherhood%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2692691&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Births in the United States dropped to a new record low last year, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/products\/databriefs\/db571.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data<\/a> the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this month. While population researchers tout the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/nFJGi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">policy success<\/a>\u201d of reducing teen pregnancies, the more important numbers concern births among the 20-and-up crowd.<\/p>\n<p>The only group to see a birth rate increase was 30- to 44-year-olds, in many cases <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/10\/24\/nx-s1-6012804\/birth-rate-population-cdc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">with the assistance<\/a> of ethically fraught artificial reproductive technology. Meanwhile, women in their peak fertility window birthed fewer children: In just one year, the birth rate for 20- to 24-year-olds dropped 6 percent and for 25- to 29-year-olds dropped 4 percent. <\/p>\n<p>Researchers <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/nFJGi#selection-1899.19-1899.307\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">say<\/a> the data indicates more ladies are delaying motherhood until they feel \u201cfinancially stable,\u201d have finished earning their desired degrees, have achieved career success, or have gotten hitched \u2014 which is also happening later in life for many of the same reasons.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlantafed.org\/-\/media\/Project\/Atlanta\/FRBA\/Documents\/research-and-data\/publications\/policy-hub-papers\/2026\/09\/30\/08-declining-birth-rates-in-us-its-not-only-about-preferences.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a> last month from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta presented similar findings, showing that this Gen Z, 20-something cohort is \u201cdramatically less likely\u201d to have <em>and<\/em> <em>want<\/em> children than older generations. The authors identify several relevant factors contributing to this problem, including \u201cincreased labor market opportunities and agency among women\u201d and \u201cchanging priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, women are more concerned with careers than kids. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/10\/24\/nx-s1-6012804\/birth-rate-population-cdc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NPR write-up<\/a> about the latest CDC numbers, for instance, cites three women in their late 30s and early 40s who prioritized \u201cbuilding careers and stable lives before becoming mothers.\u201d One recounted how she froze her eggs to get \u201ca little further along professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s got to be more at play, however, than women simply loving their careers and relishing their increased job \u201copportunities and agency.\u201d Research consistently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/commentary\/why-60-years-of-feminism-has-not-made-women-any-happier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shows<\/a> this feminist dream is, at best, leaving women unfulfilled and, at worst, making them miserable. Compared to married parents with kids, who rank highest on a happiness scale by a long shot, single ladies without kids are <a href=\"https:\/\/ifstudies.org\/blog\/who-is-happiest-married-mothers-and-fathers-per-the-latest-general-social-survey?itid=lk_inline_manual_pubble\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">quite unhappy<\/a>. They don\u2019t actually enjoy the childless corporate grind \u2014 so why are so many of them choosing it?<\/p>\n<p>Imagine this: There\u2019s a woman in her early 30s who doesn\u2019t yet have any children. She\u2019s spent the past decade earning a college degree degree (and accruing the accompanying debt), realizing that degree was pretty much useless so adding a graduate credential (and even more debt), and then working her way up the career ladder from an internship to an entry-level role to a manager of sorts. <\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no baby on the horizon because there\u2019s no husband on the horizon because her feminist proclivities cause her to repel marriageable men, whether she knows it or not. The hormonal <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/28\/dont-read-this-birth-control-misinformation-unless-you-want-to-be-twice-as-happy-as-you-are-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">birth control<\/a> she\u2019s been on since her teen-acne phase <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2005\/may\/26\/research.sciencenews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dulls her libido<\/a> to the point that she doesn\u2019t find them attractive anyway. Since moving away from the dating pool of her hometown young-adults church group to an unfamiliar city for work, she spends more time with coworkers or silent strangers on the subway than organically making conversation with male peers who share her worldview.<\/p>\n<p>Her singular income and student loan debt mean she can\u2019t afford to settle down into a suburban house, but she earns enough to enjoy superficial luxuries such as daily lattes, brunch on the weekends, and international travel at regular intervals \u2014 habits she doubts she could live without. She wishes her parents would stop asking her about marriage and kids because <em>don\u2019t they understand she\u2019s very successfully doing very important work that\u2019s leaving her very fulfilled, thank you very much?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>You most likely know plenty of women who check many of these boxes. Maybe they want babies. Maybe they\u2019re convinced they don\u2019t. But they can\u2019t \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/01\/sheryl-sandberg-needs-to-stay-in-her-girl-boss-lane-and-leave-housewives-alone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lean out<\/a>\u201d and change course because of what it would mean: that perhaps they chose poorly. It\u2019s a sunk-cost fallacy where, because they\u2019ve already invested X money in school, Y time in their career, and Z energy convincing themselves and everyone else that they\u2019re happy, it would be a waste to, in their minds, throw it all away. And besides, imagine the egg on their face\u2026<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why they need an off-ramp to turn their backs on the lies of feminism and march confidently toward the tiny people who can actually make them happy. A new <a href=\"https:\/\/ifstudies.org\/report-brief\/baby-nudges-how-social-influences-shape-fertility-choices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a> shows how you can provide the permission structure they need.<\/p>\n<p>The Institute for Family Studies surveyed 10,000 people across 12 countries and found, among many other interesting things, that \u201cbaby nudges\u201d from friends and family help move childless adults toward parenthood \u2014 especially when those nudges look like offering help or talking about how fulfilling babies are, rather than nagging or appealing to duty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen people feel supported by friends, they desire, intend to have, and actually have more children,\u201d the IFS study authors write. The same is true for would-be grandparents. \u201cBelieving one\u2019s friends would celebrate a new baby is associated with a 10% increase in desired number of children and a 20% increase in the likelihood of intending to have another child, while parental encouragement to have children is associated with an 11% increase in desired number of children and a 30% increase in the likelihood of intending to have another one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, kids are awesome, and we should say so early and often. <\/p>\n<p>If you find yourself griping about the challenges of parenting more than sharing its joys, stop being part of the problem. Don\u2019t scoff at large families. Throw baby showers, not just for first kids but for subsequent ones. Bring meals to busy families and offer childcare. Instill in your daughters a love for babies and hospitality, and consider alternatives to four-year college. Make sure your friends know that you\u2019ll be there not only to celebrate marriage and parenthood but to lend a helping hand. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe extent to which individuals feel that their peers will celebrate and support their family plans may be a crucial part of how they make fertility decisions,\u201d the authors write.<\/p>\n<p>Historically low birth rates signify not just fewer babies but less happiness. Do women a favor and remind them it\u2019s not just OK to scrap a soulless path, it\u2019s the best thing they could do.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>   Kylee Griswold is the managing editor of The Federalist. She previously worked as the copy editor for the Washington Examiner magazine and as an editor and producer at National Geographic. She holds a B.S. in communication arts\/speech and an A.S. in criminal justice and writes on topics including feminism and gender issues, religion, and the media. Follow her on Twitter <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/kyleegriswold\">@kyleegriswold<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Births in the United States dropped to a new record low last year, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this month. While population researchers tout the \u201cpolicy success\u201d of reducing teen pregnancies, the more important numbers concern births among the 20-and-up crowd. The only group to see a birth rate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":994,"featured_media":2692692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Woman-Holding-Child-Unsplash.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2692691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Woman-Holding-Child-Unsplash.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2692691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/994"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2692691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2692691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2692692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2692691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2692691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2692691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}