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The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
Heidi Klum Loves A Struggling Underclass In Uniform!
Angelina Jolie Got A Big Ol' Bump
Jessica Alba: Big Beverage, Small Baby Bump

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smopenna
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
Could we put some blame on TLC, too? Man, that channel - it's like non-stop baby porn.
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vanka-vstanka
03/19/09

@smopenna: I watch Jon and Kate Plus Eight AND Eighteen Kids and Counting, and I think they actually make me NOT want to have babies.
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bowleserised
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
Sooo, when you restrict access to birth control, more people have babies?

Well damn! I never would have guessed.
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samethingwedoeverynightpinky
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
Because there's nothing a recession needs like more babies!
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SarahMC
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
That the abortion rate has dropped considerably is NOT good news. That certainly doesn't mean there were fewer unplanned pregnancies. It is most likely a result of less available abortion services + a more "meh" attitude about pregnancy and pregnancy prevention among sexually active people. The drop in abortion scares the crap out of me, because I KNOW it's not because teens and young adults are being smarter about contraception. They're definitely not learning about it in school.
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hollygirl
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
well, at least this is good for social security payments for me in about 25 years? More little tax-payers?
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argle-bargle? or fou-ferraw?
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
ha! i just noted that they cited CDC data... which kind of gives it an apocalyptic tone (in my warped little mind, anyway.)

it's a plague of babies! ruuuuuuun!
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argle-bargle? or fou-ferraw?
03/18/09

@argle-bargle? or fou-ferraw?: *noticed* not *noted*

i'm on a roll! whew!
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
03/18/09

@argle-bargle? or fou-ferraw?: This totally reminded me of Michael K's whole, "we're being invaded/taken over by babies!" reaction every time a celeb has a kid.
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encnyc
03/18/09

@goldengirl11 (is way too earnest): I thought of him too. I think I will send him this post just to validate what he has been saying all along.
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
03/18/09

@encnyc: Oh god, he'll go into a panic!
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mayfly
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
I don't think the fact that the US population is more than replacing itself is "somewhat good," in fact, I think it's somewhat bad. But then I am a crotchety judgmental environmentalist who wishes people worldwide (but especially in high-consuming countries) would just stop having so many goddamn babies already.

[www.footprintnetwork.org]
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Cookie Dough Monster
03/18/09

@mayfly: But at the same time, having a shrinking population can be absolutely devastating. Europe is disappearing... some cities are actually PAYING people to have children because they have the (sadly) realistic fear that as the population shrinks and job opportunities disappear, the few remaining people will simply have to leave. Of course it would be best to simply maintain replacement level birth rates, but unless we want to initiate a seriously enforced child policy (eek!), that's hard to guarantee.

So yes, it is unwise to continue increasing a population, but there are also a whole host of problems brought about by a shrinking one. Providing good, comprehensive sex ed, making abortions accessible, etc. can all go a long way to keep the population from growing, but we really do need to be careful because a population decrease can be devastating in its own way.
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wilmawonker
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
what about the fact that we have a lot more latino families today, which are notoriously catholic?
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clevernamehere
03/18/09

@wilmawonker: Hispanic women are the only group who are above population replacement levels, but I think socioeconomic status and immigration are bigger factors than religion.

If you just look at race, it is a little misleading because White and Asian women are much more affluent than Black and Latina women. The truer distinction is social class. Poorer women are more likely to have 3+ kids, women with post-college education are more likely to have no kids.
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BlondeGrlz
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
How can you blame a 2007 boom on someone who didn't come into the public eye until 2008? Is the research assuming the trend will continue for 2008-09?

I don't like the term "cultural acceptance of unwed mothers". It sounds like something my grandmother would say while sucking her dentures and glaring at a wedding-ringless woman buying diapers. Can we call it "learning that man+woman+baby=family isn't the only way"?
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SarahMC
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
My stomach dropped as I read that first paragraph. Ugh. It seems like people are hopeless about their life prospects right now. The opportunity costs to having a baby are low.
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happysquid
03/18/09

@SarahMC: I really think that the news needs to either be A.) More responsible in what they cover (as in, being like John Stewart, Rachel Maddow, etc. and actually REPORTING) or B.) stopping from fearmongering, which only makes things worse by making people even more scared to spend/support the economy.
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Grim Reaper of the Forest
03/18/09

@SarahMC: People really should talk more about opportunity costs. Right now I'm not that happy in my job, and we just moved to a rural place where I don't know anyone and don't have a social life. Therefore, I'm thinking that now might be a time to have a baby because I would be sacrificing less than I might be otherwise.
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rednrowdy
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
"cultural acceptance of unwed mothers is partially to blame"

okay...but perhaps...just perhaps...the high cost and emotional toll of iv treatments, fertility clinics, and the like might also be a deterrent. oh, and also the fact that giving birth to a child seems to have become something that a woman gets to check off of her 'to do' list rather than, you know, actually being a parent.
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rednrowdy
03/18/09

@rednrowdy: EDIT: the high cost and emotional toll of iv treatments, fertility clinics, and the like would be a deterrent to waiting. because somehow getting knocked up when you're young and single is easier to pay for (?!?!) than having to pay all that money when you're in your late 30's/40's just to get knocked up in the first place.
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smizmar
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think the news about the U.S. more than replacing itself population-wise is good news at all. We're way overpopulated as it is. If you don't believe me, compare traffic conditions in every U.S. city to traffic 20 years ago. We're exploding at the seams. This baby fad is not a good thing.
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RedVelvetCake
03/18/09

@cointreau-teese: I agree. There seems to be no mainstream awareness of population control.
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argle-bargle? or fou-ferraw?
03/18/09

@RedVelvetCake: no kidding! i had an environmental ethics teacher who writes about the detrimental effects of this phenomenon (not only are we increasing our population, but most of us live incredibly unsustainable lifestyles- two cars per family, etc.) on the environment on both local and global levels. it's interesting, and not something i'd given much thought to before i took his class.
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Flackette Goes Retro
03/18/09

@cointreau-teese: This is why when people say things like "people who don't want babies are so selfish!" I give them a withering death stare and think/say "Because in this overpopulated world it's so altruistic to create a copy of yourself for your personal amusement!"
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Grim Reaper of the Forest
03/18/09

@cointreau-teese: I totally agree for environmental reasons, but if the population doesn't replace itself, you are left with an aging population and no younger workers to support crushing health care costs, etc.
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
03/18/09

@Flackette is a bored flack: Arrgh I got that one recently. Sure, having not having a baby because you don't want one is "selfish." Also selfish? Having a baby because you want one. Which is actually even *more* selfish, because you don't want eff anyone over by not having kids. There is no great moral or religious obligation to have children. People who want kids and are good at raising kids and have the resources to do so should definitely go ahead, so that even if the population isn't replaced, humanity goes on, whatever. But that doesn't require every freaking one of us to pop out 3 kids! And it certainly doesn't mean someone ought to have children. I have no idea why childbearing is still considered an "ought," it's not like we have a shortage of people or anything! Sorry, this comment just really hit me personally.
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DaniFae
03/18/09

@goldengirl11 (is way too earnest): I've gotten the "You are so SELFISH!" for waiting until I feel that I would be a suitable parent to a child, both financially and emotionally. Um? How exactly is wanting to be the best parent possible selfish? Should I have eschewed birth control as a teenager and popped one out as young as possible with no means of support and no hint of the emotional maturity necessary to raise a child?

My husband's military, and military women have actually told him that he should "Force me to get pregnant, because I'm being selfish." I told him if he forced me to get pregnant I'd redecorate the living room in aborted fetus, then divorce him.

Though, I really hate tossing around the word selfish in most cases of women choosing to have or not to have kids, unless they just want a baby because it's oh so cool and have no interest in really taking on the responsibilities associated with being a parent.
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
03/18/09

@DaniFae: Oh I didn't necessarily mean "selfish" in a bad way, more like "acting in self-interest." Either way, acting in self-interest when you are thinking about having kids or not does not seem like a bad idea to me, I mean, whose interest are you supposed to act in when you are considering undertaking such a serious responsibility!

I'm only 24 and I already think my fiance's family thinks it's odd that we're not married with kids yet! His older brothers and sister started families pretty young. I am not sure if I am going to have kids, but if I do I also want to wait until we're financially and emotionally ready, so they are going to have to wait a lot longer...

The idea of being forced to become pregnant is so incredibly appalling, even though I assume it has more to do with switching tic-tacs in for your BC than it does with spousal rape. I feel the tiniest (teensy tiny) twinge of sympathy for men whose SO's have abortions even when they wanted a kid, but the thought that your husband's family has even suggested a forced pregnancy is so so scary. Best of luck!
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Steve Holt's Mother Part Deux
03/18/09

@goldengirl11 (is way too earnest): And, I always feel obligated to say, "But husband and I spoil our nieces and nephews like crazy!" When I should say, "We don't want kids."

Isn't this whole reproductive issue supposed to be about CHOICE?
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Mary McCarthyite
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
Weren't a large majority of the baby boom mothers in the 1950s ALSO teenagers? This may be a bad example but I keep thinking of Loretta Lynn, who had like 4 kids by the time she was 20...

I mean, if pregnant teenagers now grew up hearing stories about their grandmothers who were also pregnant when they were 16, 17, 18 or whatever, then their choices to keep their babies might be based on other cultural/sociological factors then Bristol and Angelina (though I'm sure they are influences too).

That said, I'm not supporting teen pregnancies, just think there may be another layer to the whole phenomenon.
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Flackette Goes Retro
03/18/09

@Mary McCarthyite: I dunno. My grandmother was married at 18 and a mother by 19, and it sure as hell isn't something I'd want to repeat.
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MissyMcCLung
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
This argument (Bristol Palin) makes NO FUCKING SENSE. The data from 2007 shows an increase, but Bristol had her baby in '09 and got pregnant in '08./ IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER PREGNANCY TO HAVE AFFECTED 2007 BIRTHING PATTERNS.

/end rant
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AtomiClash: humanitarian misanthrope
03/18/09

@MissyMcCLung: I think Bristol Palin should have been more of an example of the normalization of so-called boomlet/trend that's happening rather than an example of its justification.

that said, wear a damn rubber, folks. Crap like this pisses me off for a rather nebulous reason, so I'll take my snark and chew on it for a while.
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pandorasmittens
03/18/09

In reply to The U.S. Baby Boom: Blame Bristol! Or Maybe Angelina
Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought it was actually a sign of a less-developed nation that an entire generation would replace itself, given the increase in life expectancy.
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AtomiClash: humanitarian misanthrope
03/18/09

@pandorasmittens: I think we are currently living your point. Ahem.
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
03/18/09

@AtomiClash: @pandorasmittens: Despite recent political "change", I would have to agree.
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