Helping young couples with the challenging choice to start families

Several years ago, some good friends invited me over to their home one warm Sunday evening. We sat on the back porch with a lovely view of the nearby Wasatch Mountains. Their married eldest daughter joined us, and she mentioned she was struggling with the idea of bringing children into the world, even though she loved children and valued motherhood.

I tried to hide my surprise. She was the go-to babysitter in her neighborhood during her teen years. She had a solid marriage to a good man who also liked children. She was working but did not have a strong career focus...