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Another perspective: "One in five women are childless at midlife, with about 90% of those in that position not by choice." https://www.theguardian.com/comment

Another perspective: "One in five women are childless at midlife, with about 90% of those in that position not by choice." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/07/chasm-mothers-childless-women-widening-motherhood-empathy https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/07/chasm-...

amanaplanacanal 3y ago
If the pro life folks get what they want, there should be plenty of adoptable infants available shortly.
- Spivak 3y ago
  Yeah it's surreal how the political pro-life movement is intertwined with great replacement conspiracy nuts. Like the logic makes sense but odd bedfellows.
ianai 3y ago
I’m missing the sourcing on that poll. That article is an anecdote.
- defrost 3y ago
  The source (no comment on quality) is cited in a secondary Guardian article: > But who are the childless and how many of them wanted children? The closest we can come is a 2010 meta-analysis by the Dutch academic Prof Renske Keiser[2], which suggested that only 10% of childless women actively chose not to become mothers. That leaves 90% of women like Day. Only 9% of that 90% are childless for known medical reasons [1]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/02/the-desire-to-have-a-child-never-goes-away-how-the-involuntarily-childless-are-forming-a-new-movement https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/02/the-des... [2] https://www.nwo.nl/actueel/nieuws/2010/Kinderloosheid+is+zelden+een+keuze.html https://www.nwo.nl/actueel/nieuws/2010/Kinderloosheid+is+zel... NOTE!! [2] is the actual link given in the 2017 Guardian article and that link to a Dutch popsci site no longer works - link rot strikes again. For myself I'm rarely swayed by third hand references to meta surveys that "suggest" a result.
antisthenes 3y ago
> I’ve realised there is a well of pain surrounding the question of motherhood; among childless women who want to become mothers; childfree women who face stigma; and even mothers, too, who feel chronically misunderstood. The real culprit in all of this is, of course, the patriarchy. What utter trash article. Not only is the patriarchy completely antithetical to reduced fertility, but most childless women are absolutely so by choice, because they have unreasonably high standards and frequently are poor partners themselves.

amanaplanacanal 3y ago

If the pro life folks get what they want, there should be plenty of adoptable infants available shortly.

Spivak 3y ago
Yeah it's surreal how the political pro-life movement is intertwined with great replacement conspiracy nuts. Like the logic makes sense but odd bedfellows.

ianai 3y ago

I’m missing the sourcing on that poll. That article is an anecdote.

defrost 3y ago
The source (no comment on quality) is cited in a secondary Guardian article: > But who are the childless and how many of them wanted children? The closest we can come is a 2010 meta-analysis by the Dutch academic Prof Renske Keiser[2], which suggested that only 10% of childless women actively chose not to become mothers. That leaves 90% of women like Day. Only 9% of that 90% are childless for known medical reasons [1]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/02/the-desire-to-have-a-child-never-goes-away-how-the-involuntarily-childless-are-forming-a-new-movement https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/02/the-des... [2] https://www.nwo.nl/actueel/nieuws/2010/Kinderloosheid+is+zelden+een+keuze.html https://www.nwo.nl/actueel/nieuws/2010/Kinderloosheid+is+zel... NOTE!! [2] is the actual link given in the 2017 Guardian article and that link to a Dutch popsci site no longer works - link rot strikes again. For myself I'm rarely swayed by third hand references to meta surveys that "suggest" a result.

antisthenes 3y ago

> I’ve realised there is a well of pain surrounding the question of motherhood; among childless women who want to become mothers; childfree women who face stigma; and even mothers, too, who feel chronically misunderstood. The real culprit in all of this is, of course, the patriarchy. What utter trash article. Not only is the patriarchy completely antithetical to reduced fertility, but most childless women are absolutely so by choice, because they have unreasonably high standards and frequently are poor partners themselves.