The article is devoted to the problems associated with maternity and changing reproductive atti-tudes of Polish women in the face of dynamic changes in modern civilization. Attention is paid to the unfavourable phenomenon of the strengthening in our country of a negative reproduction model, in which the generation of offspring is less numerous than the generation of parents and, therefore, the reproduction level does not guarantee simple generation replacement. Based on literature data, a number of factors were determined shaping reproductive attitudes of contemporary women, includ-ing the determinants of socio-economic and cultural-traditional character. The article presents and discusses the results of the study of females’ opinions concerning mater-nity, especially its effect of the occupational and economic situation of women and the promoted family model. Attention is also paid to the spread in Poland of the West European family model with a small number of offspring. In the subsequent section of the article, serious threats are presented, not only for the numbers of future generations, but also economic stabilisation of the country in association with the strengthening in Poland of negative developmental trends. From the perspective of demographic changes and their negative consequences, low natural growth becomes a serious threat to the stability of the State, and its control is a challenge for both individual citizens and political authorities - the challenge of our time