If You Want Kids But Can't Afford Them, We Want To Hear From You

The younger generations are having kids later on average than our parents did, and one factor that keeps coming up is the cost. From paying hospital bills for giving birth (if you're American) to feeding and clothing a child for 18 years, having kids is not cheap, and many of us are either delaying or opting out of parenthood due to financial factors.

So if you want to have kids but you haven't yet because of money, we want to hear your story.

Maybe you thought you were finally ready to have kids with your partner. However, after months of trying, you discovered that you'll need expensive fertility treatments in order to conceive. You're trying to save up for them, but with inflation it's almost impossible, and you're really sad, frustrated, and worried that it's never going to happen for you.

Or perhaps you've always wanted kids but career setbacks keep holding you back. From getting furloughed in 2020 to more recent layoffs and a super competitive job market, you keep having to take jobs where you're overqualified and underpaid to barely make ends meet. It's so hard just to support yourself that you can't imagine bringing another person into your family.

Or maybe you already have medical debt and student loans that you're still struggling to pay off. The thought of getting hit with a $40k hospital bill just for giving birth and then having to work again before you're ready because your job doesn't offer paid leave makes you feel absolutely sick. You'd love to have a baby, but you can't handle the financial strain.

Share your story in the comments below or via this anonymous form and you could be featured in a BuzzFeed Community post.