I have an anecdote.
My grandmother and grandfather had 8 children. Both were high school educated. They refused to go against the Church and use birth control, but my Grandmother’s cycles were very unpredictable and she could never predict ovulation.
She of course cried every time she got pregnant and never wanted so many kids. It was also a big source of embarrassment because none of their friends had hat many and were baffled as to why they didn’t just use ABC or something.
They were dead broke.
Did they slink on down to he welfare office for a handout? Hell no. They would have died of humiliation. Instead, my grandfather worked all day at an average, low-paying job. My grandmother worked the night shift at a factory after the kids were asleep Grandma walked to work, worked until early morning, went to daily mass on the way home, and made it home in time to make everyone a hot breakfast and get the kids bathed and dressed for school. When they went to school, she slept for 4 hours and then woke up in time to make them all lunch (they would walk home for lunch). After lunch, she would change their clothes again and send them back to school. Then she would clean the house and do all of the laundry (by hand, no machines). Then she would make dinner for all 10 of them and always scrubbed he floor afterwards. She would give all he kids a bath and put them into fresh pyjamas before getting ready and going to work herself for the night. She also made a lot of their clothes by hand.
She did this for YEARS, because as she pu it, she would be damned if people were going to say “Look at those people with all those kids and they can’t even take care of them”. The kids were always clean, with freshly washed and ironed clothes andhe house was always immaculate. Never ONCE did they ask for anything from anyone.
THAT is how it’s done.