Here's an interview by Dr. David Reich to illustrate a cultural point:

To me, one of the most wonderful aspects of parenthood (outside of the everyday joys like hugs, small kid babbles, and just being called "dad" by an incredible kid) is the idea of passing on the torch of humanity. These aren't my genes, they're OUR genes, and it gives me a great sense of purpose and wonder to be a part of the miracle of humanity.

Our great^(great) grandparents broght us from caves to the current day when we explore the depths of the ocean and space. Who knows what our children will be capable of?

As a pretty secular person, this feels the closest I have to a sense of mystery and awe. Before becoming a father, I suffered from a lack of a deeper purpose, even as I was engaged in some pretty cool projects and career in my life. At some point, it just felt like those things exhausted themselves. There was no large enough anchor to make them enjoyable anymore.

How do you all feel about ancient DNA living on in all of us? Does that thought ever occur to you as a parent (or as a non-parent)?

Recently been reading this critically acclaimed scifi book by PD James called "The Children of Men".

The book is set in a dystopian "future" (actually our current time, the book was written in 1992!) where humanity faces sudden and total infertilty. It then explores the societal and psychological effects of a society without children and young people. It's pretty brutal stuff, and it does eerily resonate with the current day cultural climate, imo, even though it was written in a time when Baby Boomers where still raising their 2.5 kids.

If you're not into the book, there's also a Hollywood movie available for streaming, starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Men

Have you read any similar books that you could recommend?

Hi!

I got one blast from our first retrieval this year. It fertilized from a single egg retrieved.

Second one, we tried somethjng different and we got 4 eggs, but only one fertilized and ultimately died on d3. I always have a strong lead follicle, so I think if we go for more retrievals, it’s going to be mini.

The way it works in my country is, we get some financial compensation for the procedures but ONLY if we have no embryos in the the bank at the time.

So the choice is: self pay for more retrievals or transfer now and be eligible for more financial aid for later retrievals.

WWYD?

41 1/2 yo
AMH 0.8

A summary:

"Money & Macro" (economist Dr. Joeri Schasfoort) interviews Prof. Charles Goodhart, who argues that global demographic aging is ending a decades-long era of cheap labor, low inflation, and low interest rates. According to his thesis, "The Great Demographic Reversal," a shrinking global workforce will shift bargaining power back to workers, driving up wages and creating permanent structural inflation. As central banks raise interest rates to combat this inflation, heavily indebted governments and economies will face severe financial strain. Climate change and wars add to the difficulty.

To add: European states ofc have their own difficulties, as pay-as-you-go pension systems are prevalent.

"Reversing fertility decline in Japan with foreign pro-natalist policies, 1990–2035: a systematic review and secondary data analysis"

Rahman, M. et al 2025

Findings

Our analysis included a total of 61 studies focusing on pro-natalist policies, identifying cash benefit policies—such as payment at birth, allowances, paid maternity and paternal leave, childcare coverage, and tax exemptions—as the most influential.

Unpaid maternity leaves, universal two-child policy, and Assisted Reproductive Technology health insurance coverage also showed potential to boost fertility, although further research is needed. Countries like Australia, Greece, Hungary, France, and the UK allocate over 1.3% of their GDP to family cash benefits, contrasting Japan and Korea, where the allocation is less than 1%.

Our findings indicate that Japan’s current cash benefit policies are unlikely to significantly reverse the fertility decline by 2030 (12% likelihood) and 2035 (29% likelihood).

However, should Japan enhance its cash benefits to levels observed in Australia, Hungary, and France by 2030, the probability of reversing Japan’s fertility decline could rise significantly to 79%, 70%, and 69%, respectively. Even if cash benefit policies are scaled up by 2035, the probability of reversing the decline fertility rate is projected to be around 60 or more.

Interpretation

Cash benefits emerged as the most effective fertility policy in high-income countries, although such benefits in Japan were notably modest. Elevating Japan’s cash benefit scheme could potentially lead to higher TFR.

The Family Federation of Finland (Väestöliitto), a leading Finnish NGO focused on family policy and population research, presents a proposal under which the state would provide every child born in Finland with a €5,000 investment. According to the Federation’s modelling, the intergenerational Baby Fund proposal could at best generate as many as around 15,000 additional births compared with the current situation. This would mean that, on average, Finns would reach their desired number of children, which is approximately two. Over thirty years, the fund’s investment would have time to grow into a substantial sum.

“Just as the maternity package was born out of a Finnish need and went on to spread around the world, the intergenerational Baby Fund could be the next Finnish family policy innovation to capture international interest,” says Tiina Ristikari, CEO of the Family Federation of Finland and a member of the Baby Fund working group.

I had a round of IVF with 3 follicles showing, but only one was retrieved (made a day 5 blast, thankfullyl).

My doctor told me my period would start within a week of retrieval because there is no corpus luteum left to produce hormones to keep the lining there.

However, I went longer and my cycle was an entirely normal 24 days.

To me, thus suggests an egg was left behind. Maybe something went wrong with the trigger? It was double and administered correctly!

I have been on tirzepatide which I stopped taking 2 weeks before retrieval.

Is it possible that the injected tirzepatide slowed down the metabolization of the trigger shot, and thus there wasn’t enough to mature more than one?

Cheers!

That’s the question!

I think many people on this sub have come to the conclusion that while many economic aspects play into the phenomenon of low TFR, the main driver just might be cultural.

So, let’s brainstorm:

1. What aspects of the culture must change to enable higher TFRs?

2. How can we (ethically!) change the culture in this direction?