FERTILITY

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 1947-1966”

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 1st

time mothers has

increased from 23.4

years in 1976 to

27.7 years in 2002 1st 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%!