Where have all the babies gone?

There's this weird thing that happens when you get pregnant: Everywhere you go, you see other pregnant people and parents pushing strollers. Granted, those people were always there before, but once you become pregnant yourself - join their ranks - you finally start noticing them on a massive scale.

But what would the world look like if there were suddenly a lot fewer babies around? A recent paper studying the effects of bad economies on birth rates points out that women in their early 20s during the start of the "Great Recession" in 2008 are far less likely to have children at all. The study's authors theorize that women in their early 20s are often at a crossroads in their decision to have children or not. By the time the economy has improved, women may be less likely to go back on that decision.

After reading this study, I wondered if this would be one that could be expanded to specifically include data about women deciding to have additional children. Are there mothers out there putting off having second or third children until the economy improved only to miss their chances?

I've talked before about having a single child, and I'm not sure if a better economy would have changed that for us. I love the time and focus I'm able to give to him, so I haven't given much thought to number two.

But what about you? Has a bad economy made you rethink expanding your family? Share your story in the comments.