Why aren’t women having children? Ask men

June 10, 2026 — 7:00pm

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To be a woman is to know that no matter your circumstances in life, you will be asked about children by more people and on more occasions than you can possibly imagine.

First, the obvious question: do you want them?

If the answer is yes, follow-ups will include (but will certainly not be limited to): how many? When are you going to start trying? Do you have names picked out? Was the pregnancy was planned? Now that you have one when are you going to start trying for the next?

If you don’t want children, you can expect variations on the following: why not? Aren’t you worried you’ll regret it? Don’t you want to experience that kind of love? Who will care for you when you’re old? What does your partner think about your decision? Isn’t that selfish? Did you have a difficult upbringing? Seriously, why don’t you want children?

Whichever category you fall into, if you are a woman, these kinds of questions will follow you around for the better part of two decades.

But recently, these queries have been condensed down to just one overriding question: Why aren’t women having babies?

Usually, it comes with a tone of concern and frustration, like a hand-wringing mother desperate to make a small child understand that the stove top is not to be touched under any........

© The Age