1813: Affording Parenthood: Exploring the True Cost of Raising Children

Are you on the fence about having children? I'm talking to my women listeners out there. If this is you, you're not alone. In today's world, you know better than anyone that women face enormous pressure and endless questions around motherhood. Is this something I really want? Can I afford it? How will this impact my identity, my career, and my happiness? Our guest knows this internal struggle very well.

Ruthie Ackerman is an accomplished writer and journalist whose new memoir, The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and The Myths That Shape Us, dives deeply into these very questions. Ruthie bravely explores the emotional, societal, and financial realities of deciding whether or not to become a parent. In our candid conversation, she shares her deeply personal journey, questioning motherhood amidst family history, societal expectations, genetic fears, and profound personal and financial costs. She opens up about fertility treatments, egg freezing, IVF, and the financial strategies and sacrifices that made motherhood possible for her.

We also discuss how redefining motherhood can be a radical act of self-love and empowerment, and how financial independence can profoundly influence our personal choices, including our decisions to become parents