Moreover, the odds of conceiving are high, with an 18% chance (highest) of having a baby in three months of trying naturally. There's also a health benefit for the mama and the baby. The risk of developing complications, or having premature birth is relatively low, as compared to when you have a baby in your late 30s.
For a mother, a child always remains her baby even if he turns 60 or becomes a tycoon, a leader or a thinker. Mothers hold this strong aspect of loving their children in any phase of life or situation. This unconditional love of mothers is what makes them so special for every child.
Research has showed that, while having one child is associated with a gain in happiness, having a second is associated with a drop in happiness for mothers.
She's reviewed dozens of single-child family studies and finds that only children aren't any worse off than their peers with siblings. "The studies all show that only children are not spoiled. They're no more lonely than other children, and they actually make as many friends as children with siblings," she says.
While some people desire just one child, most parents seem to like the idea of their child having a sibling. Having two children allows for just that. Your first child receives a sibling and playmate, and there is no competition with what sibling to play with. (Three children can leave someone left out.)
Harman interviewed 950 parents from a wide range of family set-ups, and concluded that the happiest families were those with four or more children. The main advantages cited by these parents were increased positive social interactions within the family and high levels of support among siblings.
Of course, as women age, the odds of conceiving also gradually lower. The ideal childbearing age is often considered to be in the late 20s and early 30s. Pregnancies later in life could come with some health risks.
Moms who have girls are much happier than those with boys, particularly when the children reach early adulthood, according to a study from the Journal of Family Issues.
For married-couple families with one child, expenses averaged 27% more per child than expenses in a two-child family. For families with three or more children, per child expenses averaged 24% less on each child than on a child in a two-child family. This is sometimes referred to as the “cheaper by the dozen” effect.
In particular, a sibling age difference of 2 years or more was associated with a higher chance of completing high school and attending college. Another study found that children who are more than 3.5 years apart tend to get higher grades than children born less than 2 years apart.
Here, researchers tracked people over 20 years and found that parents were actually happier after the birth of their second baby. With their first child, life satisfaction dipped for several years, then increased to levels higher than before. But a second child steadily increased happiness.
An only child may grow up lonely. An only child has no one to grow up with. The parents of an only child tend to be overprotective. An only child may have a harder time making friends.
Disadvantages of being the only child
Only children tend to overcompensate this factor by being social butterflies. Parental pressure: The undivided attention and focus can cause parents to push their child towards being an idealistic high achiever, making it stressful for the child to live up to their expectations.
New learning is a good reason to have a second child
This means he/she is ready to welcome the new sibling and lend a helping hand to the little one. As they grow up, they would support each other — right from studies to their life decisions. In this way, both develop the habit of learning many things in life.
It's okay if two kids is way harder than you thought. Researchers found that having a second child puts a lot of pressure on parents' time and their mental health, and mothers bear the brunt of the burden. People often say that having a second child doesn't much add to the workload of parenting.
There's no gender-specific pattern to your baby's preferences for one parent over the other. True, you'll hear one baby described as a 'daddy's girl' because of her strong attachment to her dad, and another as a 'mummy's boy' as his bond with his mum is more intense.
About 40% of parents, across the decades, have told researchers that if they could only have one child, they would want a boy. Only a consistent 20% to 30% has chosen a girl or no preference. At least when it comes to what we think we want, the data is clear. American parents wants sons.
Research shows that there is a “happiness bump” that parents experience right after a baby is born. But that tends to dissipate over the course of a year, Glass says. After that point in time, the levels of happiness of parents and non-parents gradually diverge, with non-parents generally growing happier over time.
Male Fertility Facts
Peak male fertility is around 25-29 years old. Sperm quality begins to decline at 30. At 45, men begin to experience a significant decrease in semen volume. Older men can also take longer to conceive a child.
Despite the growing trends mentioned above, two children still seems to the ideal number. An actual study revealed one to two children is the ideal number for “happiness”, but with two you don't have to deal with the aforementioned only child issues.