paced and ever changing world couples at large have opted to have less children for they feel that having too many children is being ignorant and ridiculous, as compared to the past generations who felt that having many children was a source of pride and honor. A Saudi woman, Shafiya Al-Anzi, nurtured and raised nine children; five boys and four girls, the youngest now in high school. “In the past couples used to prefer big families and it was normal for a woman to have six children or more. I raised my nine children with ease because life was simpler back then. We did not suffer from massive financial burdens or face challenges that parents of today face these days due to increasingly persistent changes in the society,” she said. “My oldest daughter has only two children, a boy and a girl under the age of seven, and she constantly complains that it is so difficult and exhausting to take care of them and meet all their health, social, educational, and economic demands,” Shafiya added. Rapid change in culture has changed the perception of many couples, and they believe that having too many children is actually insane. As living costs and competition for good jobs and up-to-date lifestyle have gone up many obstacles are coming in the way of young couples, and that is why they refer prefer small families. Hamoud Al-Hablani, a father of four children aged between nine and one, said, “It is tiring and a huge responsibility for both parents to rear their children. The society at large will be negatively impacted if parents do not have time and the capacity to raise their children in the best possible way to teach them important values.” “One colleague of mine from work had so many children that he could not even count them on one hand and he was always complaining of how they were always getting into trouble. What is sad and funny at the same time is that he sometimes made mistakes in calling out the names of his children,” recalled Al-Hablani. Exceptions prevail everywhere and anywhere, some men still desire to have many children or keep having children until they get a boy. Marital problems arise and battles ensue when husband and wife don't reach an agreement. A 30-year-old mother Umm Salman, said, “I think most women these days do not want to have more than two or three children. Repeated pregnancies are extremely taxing on a woman's body and emotional state as well. In this fast-paced world, women rarely have time to take care of themselves, eat healthy foods, and rest when they are pregnant, so that will negatively affect the health of both mother and baby. It is unfair for a man to demand his wife to have more children, or to keep trying until they have a boy. It is even worse for a man to threaten his wife that if she disagrees to have another child, he will marry another woman.” Maintaining a healthy weight, slim, and fit body is another reason why some women are against multiple pregnancies. Another young woman who is a wife, a mother, and a teacher said and she is opposed to having more than four children. Organizing pregnancies and spacing them out enables a woman to stay physically fit and slim. Having a reasonable number of children also gives wives more time to take care of her appearance, spend qualitative time with her husband, read, and devote more time to helping her children and looking after them. Dr. Huda Al-Basheer, obstetrician at Al-Faisal Hospital, said, “Going through repeated pregnancies with little time between them is not good for the health of the mother or baby. Consecutive pregnancies can increase the mother's risk for iron deficiency, anemia and osteoporosis. “In addition, if the mother's body did not have enough time to recuperate and strengthen the uterine muscles, the lax uterine muscles could increase the chance of having a fetus in the breech position. Other health concerns related to repeated pregnancies include hypertension and gestational diabetes. More importantly, excellent prenatal care is essential for all women, regardless of the number of children they have.” __
