E166: The Truth About Babies, Big Families, And Happiness w/Catherine Pakaluk

Is overpopulation truly a threat to society, or should we be more concerned about the U.S.'s declining population growth? Does having more children lead to greater happiness? Today, I sit down with Dr. Catherine Pakaluk, Professor of Political Economics at the Catholic University of America, to explore these questions. Rather than focusing on those choosing not to have children, Catherine shifts the spotlight to women who defy the trends—mothers of large families.In this thought-provoking discussion, we delve into what drives these women to grow their families, the surprising ways babies can contribute to mental health and healing, and an unexpected take on the link between resources and population growth. Join our growing Locals community! https://lilarose.locals.com/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LilaRose865 A big thank you to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/ Check out our great Sponsors! -Hallow: https://www.hallow.com/lila Enter into prayer more deeply this season with the Hallow App, get 3 months free by using this link to sign up! -Crowd Health: https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ The new alternative to health insurance - sign up and use the code "LILA" for a special deal of $99 for your first 3 months! -Seven Weeks Coffee: https://www.sevenweekscoffee.com Buy your pro-life coffee with a 10% discount using the code LILA.-EveryLife: https://www.everylife.com Buy diapers from an amazing pro-life diaper company and use code LILA and get 10% off!00:00:00 - Intro00:04:58 - What was it like starting marriage with 6 children?00:08:60 - People told us not to have children00:14:52 - Population in the West/globally?00:16:26 - What are the consequences of population decline?00:19:55 - Is overpopulation real?00:22:23 - People are minds, not just stomachs00:24:42 - Resources are unlimited00:26:59 - People don’t breed like rabbits00:30:05 - I think this is one of the hardest topics I've ever thought about00:40:04 - Who’s having children today?00:48:09 - Learning about things we can’t see by the things we can00:50:20 - God intended economic growth01:13:53 - Awkward question for America