For some reason, we’re a country that just loves babies. God knows why — they’re loud, smelly and horrible conversationalists.

But we adore the little buggers, especially in great numbers.

Jon and Kate Gosselin, with their plus eight, are famous thanks to this tendency. Even Nadya Suleman, the media-dubbed Octomom, enjoys a small amount of notoriety due in part to our love of babies.

But our infatuation with these large families belies a truth: Producing children in such great numbers is reckless.

If you’re blissfully unaware of whom Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are, let me inform you. They are the Arkansas couple, featured on the TLC show “18 Kids and Counting,” who brought 18 spawn into this world.
According to a recent article on the People magazine Web site, Michelle is now pregnant with her 19th.

I fail to see the point in raising a family of this size, and can only posit that they: A) are trying to field a NFL size football team, B) wanted to increase their list of Facebook friends, or C) are attempting to build an army to take over the rest of Arkansas.

Whatever their reasons, a family of this size is not only inane, but also irresponsible.

Raising a child in America isn’t cheap. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, middle-income parents of a child born in 2008 can expect to spend $291,570 to raise that child to the age of 17.

Going by this report, Nadya Suleman can expect to pay more than $2.3 million to raise her octuplets to age 17. Jon and Kate are in the same boat. If this 19th child is their last, the Duggars will have paid more than $5.5 million by the time their littlest is 17.

The report factored in the costs of food, shelter and education, but left out medical bills, as well as the cost of financing a college education. Certainly, the Duggars incur some additional unique expenses.

When you have to trade in the sedan for a school bus, maybe it’s time to cut back on the baby making.

The mother’s health, as well that of her children, must also be taken into account. Michelle Duggar is 42 years old, and with her oldest son now 21, she’s officially been pregnant for nearly half her life.

Pregnancy is stressful for any woman’s body, and the risk of health problems increases in older mothers. Popping out kids like candy from a vending machine can’t be healthy.

Giant families also put an unnecessary strain on the economy and the environment. Thanks to the IRS Child Tax Credit, each additional child puts up to $1,000 into parents’ pockets every year, at a cost to the government of about $230 billion. With every member added to the family, large families gain more notoriety and opportunities for television shows, magazine interviews and book deals while becoming a bigger burden to taxpayers.

Most scientists agree that the largest threat facing the world in the next 50 years is overpopulation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of our country is expected to grow to nearly 420 million by the year 2050. The U.N. says by that year the world population will grow to 9 billion, an increase of more than 30 percent from our current 6.8 billion.

Resources are strained enough — it’s not only negligent to the children to bring them into this world a baseball team at a time; it’s harmful to the rest of us.

Parents have the right to make as many offspring as they see fit. But at some point, common sense must take precedence over the desire to have more kids. Parents need to focus on raising the children they already have, and the rest of us need to stop encouraging such natal excess — no matter how cute the babies are.

Send Zach invites to your 12th baby shower at zachary.fowle@asu.edu.