[graemep]

There are also societal pressures the other way. A lot of people do not have children because of the cost.

In the UK there has also been a cultural shift to regarding children as a lot of work - parents are under more pressure to do more and be perfect. That also deters people from having children.

Then there are those who argue that there are too many children so people should not have children.

There are pressures to have kids, of course, but its not clear to me that there is a net societal pressure towards having kids.

I had kids because I like having kids. Its fulfilling in a way nothing else is in most parents lives.