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Why do women put off having children?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
In modern society, external factors often influence the creation of a family and the birth of a child. Social values sometimes outweigh a woman’s internal needs. Getting a good education, a decent job, and career advancement can postpone the birth of the first child for an indefinite period of time.
Half of women who are in no hurry to start a family explain this by the fact that they are satisfied with their lives and do not want to sacrifice their freedom. These are the results of a survey of more than 3,000 representatives of the fair sex aged 28 to 45, conducted in Great Britain.
54% said they were unable to have children because they had not yet found their man, with one in five considering artificial insemination using donor sperm and even freezing their eggs to have a child in the future.
36% have not yet decided whether they want to start a family, and 28% are completely focused on building their own careers and are not ready for motherhood, 22% of respondents have disagreements with their husbands about when to conceive a child.
According to the survey, most women are not worried about their future pregnancy and only a quarter of those surveyed would like to conceive a child as early as possible.
Those women who have not yet met a man suitable for starting a family admitted that their feelings can be compared to the condition of women diagnosed with infertility.
Scientists have called this condition “emotional infertility” – childlessness not by choice, but due to the absence of a partner or his unwillingness to have children.
Of course, in this case, specialists are unable to help the problem. Such women can share their painful problems only with close friends, because it is hard to realize that you are ready to have a child, but have already despaired of meeting your other half, who can give you this happiness.
Doctors warn that the most favorable age for conceiving a child is up to 35 years. However, the results of this survey indicate that the optimal biological age for the first birth does not always coincide with the financial or emotional satisfaction and readiness of a woman to raise a child.