Malthus has been right for most populations during most of history.
The population expands until it reaches the carrying capacity of its area, and then it stabilizes with the lowest rungs of society limited by disease, war, and starvation.
Population expansions have occurred when there are technological improvements to agricultural production (3-field rotation, importation of American food crops, double cropping of rice, Haber-Bosch production of ammonia) or when the area expands (replacement of hunter-gatherers in the the US, South Africa, Siberia, Argentina, Brazil, Caribbean, Australia, etc.).
Child sacrifice is certainly a recurring theme through history.
I’m not a proponent of Ammonia Fertilizer, because of what it does to tight clay soil. Those in sandy soil, are not harmed as much.
Anhydrous Ammonia is the cheapest fertilizer, but really damages soil culture.
For a long time, no till or limited till was a big booster. Of course it is dependent upon RoundUp. Or like in Central America where they have huge rainfall, they can cover crop rotate.