The valued child. The effect of values on the transition to motherhood

This article focuses on the effect of values on the transition to motherhood. In analyzing panel data of the 'Familienentwicklung in Nordrhein-Westfalen'-study we argue that individual values are important cultural characteristics that influence young women's choices concerning motherhood. The most egalitarian category of women, who value autonomy and economic independence and who do not identify with traditional family values, has a significant lower risk of giving birth or getting pregnant than those women who do not value autonomy or who do value traditional values. A second finding in this paper is that women who are in a 'shorter' consensual union and get pregnant, more often plan their marriage before giving birth compared to women in a 'longer' consensual union. This suggests that, just. like a first child symbolizes an affirmation of marriage, a first child in 'longer' consensual unions similarly symbolizes an affirmation of continuity.