30 Women Share The Moment They Realized They’d Like To Remain Childfree

Realizing that every time I imagined having a child, I instantly began also daydreaming about how I could get a break from it. Imagining who would watch it while I went out for some adult time, thinking of how I could still go on big adventurous trips away from home, wondering how I could not be tied to the school schedule.

My husband and I always talked and dreamed about having one kid, and we began trying for one right around when the pandemic started. Of course, I had zero desire to be pregnant during a pandemic so we paused for a while. Every time we talked about trying again, we always found some excuse to wait a little more. Eventually we realized we didn't have to have a kid at all, and honestly we're so much happier now that we've admitted that to ourselves!

When I heard a child wailing in public and my first thought was "Oh s**t what's wrong now? No wait, that's not my problem any longer" and then a huge wave of relief came over me.

For some context - I was forced to help raise 5 out of 6 siblings from when I was around 10 to 15, when I moved to my own place. I did most things parent does such as nightly feedings, diaper changes, soothe them during the night, put them to bed, brush their teeth, take them out to play/for a walk etc. This experience taught me that I never wanted children of my own as I knew how much I hated it to begin with.

I honestly don’t understand why so many people want them. It’s like renouncing to your freedom, money and life for someone else; I really don’t get why people would want them at all.

realizing that most of my family and personal health history is genetic. i have a lot line of mental health problems (substance use, anxiety, depression, ocd, ect), heart problems, diabetes, and other health issues. i would not want my child to go through the issues that i or my family has due to genetics.

additionally, around the same time i learned that i have thalassemia. thalassemia is a rare genetic blood disorder that can cause severe physical symptoms or in the event of the right combination of subtypes, certain stillbirth. while 1.5% of the population are carriers, only 0.3% of the population have symptoms. i have the type alpha intermedia, or hemoglobin H disease, meaning if i had a child with someone with the thalassemia gene, it would certainly be stillborn.

in conclusion, my genes suck, their genes would suck. that's just unfair to them.

Honestly? Hearing stories about folks’ bodies being effectively ruined by childbirth. Episiotomies that go wrong, that kind of thing.

And then also just thinking about climate change and how I don’t feel like it’s right for me to bring a new life into all this.

Watching my mom get a 3rd degree tear in real time giving birth to my youngest sister. I was 11. Also Im the oldest of 5. I’ve already spent over a decade being a parent and I don’t want to do it anymore.

One of the less complicated reasons is simply that it took me so long to feel comfortable in my body (and I still don’t most of time) I just don’t want to face that experience in my body after finally feeling better about it.

Pregnancy always horrified me, and never felt the desire for a family/kids. I don't recall a time I ever wanted children. I at least never want to be pregnant...

I get a defining moment almost every time I see parents with young children outside.

I’m outside a lot. I’m not a big drinker either. So it happens things that I do are often shared by parents with young kids.

And it never fails: every single time I see a parent trying to enjoy an outing with a child to care for, they appear to be in abject misery. I’ve seen way too many mothers and a good deal of fathers dying inside with every step of a walk they were trying desperately to enjoy, as their kicking, wriggling, howling child subjects each of their senses to torture. The worst is when it’s both parents out, but the one doing the caretaking is still all alone ( usually the mom, sorry, it’s the truth), while the other escapes into their phone a good 5-10 paces ahead.

It seems that *every little thing* becomes difficult when you have kids. Every time I see it, it cements my choice.

I remember being at a water park when I was around 8 years old, and I was so annoyed with the smaller kids. I knew then that I didn’t want any