U.S.'s Decrease in Fertility Rate, Teen Pregnancy, and the Rise of Tradwife Culture
By: Kelsey Gallagher | Published on: November 12, 2026
The fertility rate in the U.S. has been declining for decades. As rates in the U.S. continue to drop, reaching a record low in 2026, analysts and researchers are looking for answers.
Studies have shown that Gen Z women in their teens and twenties are less likely to want children more than any other generation. This decrease in fertility might not just be the result of women not having children at all, but they are waiting till later in life to have children. Birth rates have only increased in women ages 30-44.
When discussing the overall decrease of birth rates with the purported rise in older women experiencing pregnancy, Brian Mann wrote for NPR, “They're wrestling with financial uncertainty and waiting much later to choose pregnancy.”
“They're wrestling with financial uncertainty and waiting much later to choose pregnancy.” - Brian Mann
Young women are choosing to live a different life than past generations for many reasons. Firstly, the rise in costs is a major factor. Even if young women do want to have children, they may be faced with the burden of money. Children are extremely expensive, and right now it is expensive just to take care of oneself. Young women are choosing a mature route and waiting until they can provide their baby with what they need. They choose to wait to have children at the chance that they will be more financially stable later in life to provide for their children.
Another major factor in the decreasing fertility rate is more labor opportunities for women and a change of mindset. Young women want to prioritize themselves and engage in advanced education and professional careers. They want to utilize their youth and create a life for themselves without children. This also plays into women wanting to be stable, emotionally and financially, before they have children.
For some women, the time will never come when they feel drawn to having children. This is also due to social ideas and just plain personal opinions. Historically there was always a pressure on young women to have children and now we are seeing a huge decrease in teen pregnancy which a social and public health win.
Teen pregnancy can come with many complications such as premature babies and risks for the babies and the mother's health. Looking at the decrease in teen pregnancy should be seen as a good thing, especially since it doesn't explicitly mean that women who do not have children in their teens and twenties won't have children in the future.
On his personal blog, Dr. Steve Rad, a Los Angelos based maternal-fetal medicine specialist highlights how decreasing fertility rates are reshaping the country’s structure and economy, “A lower birth rate contributes to an aging population, potentially leading to a smaller workforce and increased pressure on social support systems.”
“A lower birth rate contributes to an aging population, potentially leading to a smaller workforce and increased pressure on social support systems.” - Dr. Steve Rad
While it can be a good thing that teen pregnancy rates are dropping and young women want to wait until they are financially stable to have children, there are still major consequences. The population of the United States will begin to shrink due to the aging population and the low rates of births. Historically, the United States has lived in a youthful culture, which has been able to provide us with new, innovative business and technologies.
There is some backlash on the decrease in fertility rate that has been blamed on the youth. Dr. Marc Siegel is one, stating that “teens and young adults are the problem.” While an overall decrease in fertility rates has lasting social and economic problems, blaming teenagers surely is not the solution. For years, young women have been taught to practice safe sex and have been pushed abstinence from several White House administrations, and yet when the consequences of these policies are seen in real statistical change, it becomes an issue.
There is a community of individuals who agree with the idea that it is a bad thing that women aren't getting pregnant in their teens. A right-winged podcaster, Katie Miller stated, “Our biological destiny is to have babies – not slaves behind desks chasing careers while our civilization dies.” This ideology has been growing on social media rapidly, as the new term “tradwife” has begun circulating.
“Our biological destiny is to have babies – not slaves behind desks chasing careers while our civilization dies.” - Katie Miller
A tradwife is a chosen lifestyle where a woman conforms to traditional wife-like roles. This can range from traditional off-the-grid homesteading to simply being a stay-at-home mom. Although many people will disagree with this lifestyle, bashing and dismissing women who choose this way of living is not the proper way to critique this trend. Instead, it is important to understand the consequences that it can come from engaging in a traditional marriage.
The real issue with the tradwife trend is the way that it can be integrated into young minds on the internet and the dehumanizing of women. Being a “good tradwife” means young women don’t go to college, don’t hold a job and have kids as young as possible. This results with the traditional ideas of men being the head of the family and providing for the family unit If this is the life a woman chooses, then so be it. However, there are many harmful outcomes generated from this way of living.
Most dangerously, it is very hard for women to escape a traditional marriage if they are experiencing any form of abuse. Without work experience and mouths to feed, most women are financial tied to their husbands, regardless of how their relationship progresses. Additionally, with trends like this growing on popular social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, many men may begin to see this as the norm, even as women are increasingly entering higher education and the workforce.
A famous tradwife, Hannah Neeleman posts her life on TikTok, under the username “Ballerina Farm.” Hannah and her husband Daniel have nine children together and they own a farm and a company in Utah. Hannah was a talented ballerina who got a full ride to The Julliard School. They decided to set their goals aside and create a life of the land with many children. People on the internet have mixed emotions about this family, some feel bad for her and feel as if she is trapped and others believe she is right where she wants to be.
In the past year, there was a video circulating on social media that shows Daniel giving Hannah an egg apron as a birthday present despite the fact that his family owns Jet Blue airlines, and Hannah hinted several times that she wanted her birthday present to be a trip abroad. While unboxing her gift, she seems slightly uncomfortable and less than thrilled with her egg apron. These types of influencers push the narrative that domestic homemaking is a glorious life that young women should aspire for. It highlights women in the kitchen, with a gaggle of kids making sour dough whilst taking care to keep sweet and submissive to their husbands, yet when the women themselves are disappointed with the shortcomings of this life, they cannot express that.
These movements that highlight female submission and traditionalism are harmful in the way that they relegate women to homemakers, mothers and wives. Whilst this life is an admirable choice, it should never be the only choice. When we see a public outcry from far-right conservatives complaining about teen pregnancy rates decreasing, we are indirectly seeing them complain about how young women are choosing to invest in themselves instead of the nuclear family.
Leaning back into teen pregnancy, the tradwife trend encourages teens and young women to get married young and start to having children in an effort to please their culture or men. Again, women who choose to have children early are not the problem, it is a problem if they are either forced or manipulated into doing it, even if that manipulation isn’t apparent. It is important to protect the youth from decisions that will impact them for the rest of their lives. Tradwives are made to seem super fulfilled and overjoyed with their choices, but that is not the path for everyone and it can be dangerous if being a tradwife becomes the norm.
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