Hi all!
I just joined this community with a new journal I created after discovering that I am pregnant.
I am 25 years old and married. My husband and I are not interested in parenting children for many reasons. This pregnancy is the result of my irresponsibility regarding my reproductive health. We plan to find a loving adoptive home for this child.
I joined this community for the support of other women who choose not to parent children. I've already gotten a taste of all the "Yay, babies!" that goes along with pregnancy. It seems that people assume that if you are not having an abortion, you're thrilled to be pregnant and can't wait to have a baby. That's not me!
I know that not having/parenting children is a valid choice but it helps to hear from other women who know the same thing. :)
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- Current Mood
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hopeful

Hi, I'm Meg, and I'm childfree by choice.
I'm also a fairly cheerful aunty of two (and aunty by-de-factoish-something-or-other to a third). I don't hate children. I don't see hating children as necessarily part of the whole "childfree" business. I just admit that I am most definitely *not* a "kid person". (At least, between the ages of about 6 months and 12 years).
As for my reasons: I have chronic endogenous depression, for which I am on medication. If I got pregnant, I'd have to come off the medication, which means a free trip back to hell. There's also some fairly strong evidence that the depression is at least partly heritable (which means there's a 50% chance that a child of mine could be prone to it). I came to the conclusion that it really isn't fair to hand something like that to a baby without being able to ask first.
There's another facet to it, as well. I'm deeply selfish, and self-centred. I *like* having enough time to be able to play computer games, and go out shopping. I like being able to think "oh, I'll have to stay late at work today". I like being able to plan holidays in the middle of the school term. I like the convenience of a child-free lifestyle. I don't want to give it up, and I don't see why I should have to.
So I'm childfree by choice. I'm aware it isn't everyone's cup of tea. I don't advocate it as something everyone should do - but neither do I feel that I should be criminalised for choosing not to have children.
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- Current Mood
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grateful