In the last three decades, childbearing in Iran has decreased more than many countries in the world. The aim of this study was to explore the fertility motivation of Working women and their husbands and discover which one determines the number of children.

This correlational study was conducted on 540 employed, married women and their husbands (270 couples) living in Mashhad, Iran, during 2017–2018. The participants were selected through multistage cluster sampling. Then, a random number table was used. Subsequently, questionnaires were distributed and completed at home, and collected after 24 h. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics form and the Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ).

The mean(SD) positive motivation scores of men and women differed significantly [92.77 (13.04) Vs. 92.22 (13.51) df = 4; p = 0.001;]. The mean (SD) negative motivation scores of men and women also differed significantly 55.42 (10.94) Vs. 56.78 (10.57) df = 4; p = 0.001;].

According to the scores obtained for the positive and negative fertility motivations of working women and their husbands, women were more in favor of having children and had an ambivalent motivation to bear children. Moreover, the working women’s spouses were more indifferent to fertility. The results of this study can help reproductive health policymakers in childbearing.