Based on your experience and research, how would you explain the joys and tribulations of having a child with a couple who is thinking about having a child or even a second child? Provide a balanced description of what new parents can expect with the birth of a child or second child and the expanded role of parenting.

This week you get a choice of either option A or B. Make sure you review the revised grading rubric before you post or reply.

Option A: The Choice to Have a Child – A Preview of the Pros and Cons of Parenting

“You saw earlier that there are benefits and costs in having children. The same is true in raising them: “Parenting varies, being enormously satisfying and seemingly easy at times as well as confounding, difficult, and burdensome at other times” (Arendell, 1997: 22). Many parents are happier when taking care of their children than during 15 other common daily activities such as watching TV, cooking, working, and socializing with friends (Nelson et al., 2013). Parenting, however, does not come naturally. It’s neither instinctive nor innate. Especially with a first child, most of us muddle through by trial and error. Advice on the physical care of a baby can be valuable, but there’s no template that ensures a parent’s smooth passage to parenthood. Transitions, like having a child, involve stress and strain, in addition to joy and excitement.” (Benokraitis & Buehhler, 2018)

Benokraitis, N. V., & Buehler, C. (2018). Marriages and Families (9th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9780134736143

Post:  Based on your experience and research, how would you explain the joys and tribulations of having a child with a couple who is thinking about having a child or even a second child?  Provide a balanced description of what new parents can expect with the birth of a child or second child and the expanded role of parenting.  Provide trend data on what many parents experience (not just what happens in your household.)

OR

Option B: The Choice to Get Help Having A Child – Infertility Treatments

“The most common medical treatments for infertility are drugs, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, and surrogacy. About 17 percent of women and 9 percent of men between the ages of 25 and 44 have used infertility services, including evaluations or tests, medical advice, and ovulation drugs. Treatment is most common among older women, those who are white, and people with higher education and income levels (Kessler et al., 2013; Chandra et al., 2014).”  (Benokraitis & Buehhler, 2018)

Post: If you were unable to have a child or another child, which approach to infertility would you consider choosing? Provide your rationale based on the research you were able to discover. Describe the prevalence of infertility.  Provide the pros and cons, statistics, policies, laws, opportunities in your area, costs related to your infertility intervention of choice.