I don’t believe women should ever have to justify why they’ve chosen to remain childfree by choice.

But for funzies, I’m going to go ahead and break down my top 10 reasons.

I also want to note how important it is for childfree women like me to speak out.

Motherhood is seen as the respectable, acceptable choice — the non-negotiable next step in adulthood.

Childfree women are going against the grain, and we are heavily scrutinized and demonized because of it.

I believe we deserve to have a voice, and we deserve mutual respect in society, even though we’ve opted out of the societal norm.

Reason No. 1: I cherish and value my freedom and flexibility above almost everything else in my life.

I absolutely love having autonomy over my day. I love going where I want, doing what I want, spending my money how I want, eating what I want, and watching what I want.

This level of autonomy is something I’ve fought for — something I’ve always known I wanted since I was a child.

There’s a reason I chose a career in journalism and writing. Being able to grab my laptop and hop on a flight whenever I want — that was the dream, and I designed my life to support it.

Freedom and flexibility have always been top priorities for me. I’ve always viewed having children as the opposite of that.

Sure, plenty of parents will say they still have freedom and flexibility — but chasing toddlers or dealing with moody preteens while also trying to focus on your OWN life has never appealed to me.

Even if parents find ways to feel free, I know I wouldn’t experience the same level of autonomy I currently enjoy if I had children.

Before I move on, I often think about how whenever parents describe their dream day, it usually starts with dropping the kids off at daycare or grandma’s house, so they can go do XYZ…

For me, I get to live my dream day every day. If I want to book a flight to New York for the weekend, I can.

If I want a spontaneous date night with my husband, I don’t have to line up childcare. That freedom wasn’t an accident — it was 100% by design.

Reason No. 2: Have you seen the state of the world right now? The political climate alone is disturbing AF.

When boomers were having kids, there was a sense of a bright, booming future ahead. Jobs were easier to get, homes were affordable, and college didn’t cost a fortune.

But for millennials, it’s a different story. 66% of us don’t have retirement savings.

We’re offered insultingly low salaries. People are going viral on social media just for sharing how many job applications they’ve sent without getting a response.

Millennial are sending out a thousand job applications and getting hosted by all of them.

My age group took on student debt because we believed college would help us succeed — but many of us are drowning in that debt and still can’t secure a livable income. The job market is brutal. The housing market is worse. Everything feels dystopian.

Knowing what I know about the world — politically, economically, environmentally — I wouldn’t feel right bringing a child into this mess.

Reason No. 3: This might sound morbid, but I’ve been working since I was 15. I’m 30 now, and sometimes I wonder if I might’ve been better off never being born.

Hear me out: whether you’re grinding in the workforce or struggling outside of it, suffering is inevitable.

Sometimes I wish my parents hadn’t had me unless they could’ve set me up for life outside of this system. They birthed me into the matrix. They birthed me into the rat race — and the idea of doing that to another human just doesn’t sit right with me.

One of the most painful things is having a deeply ingrained passion and knowing exactly what you want to do with your life, but lacking the necessary resources to execute.

I’m actively working toward opening a wellness studio. I’m manifesting it. I’m taking inspired action, Im saving money, I’m building my brand.

But the journey is hard — really hard.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I have so much to be thankful for. But I’m striving for entrepreneurial freedom, and the uphill climb is exhausting.

Sometimes I feel resentful of my parents for birthing me into such a diabolical rat race.

Life can occasionally feel like a hamster wheel of misery. That’s just part of the human condition.

And no, I don’t expect handouts from my parents. But they did choose to bring me into this world and I did not ask to be here.

I wouldn’t want my own child to feel the way I sometimes do — overwhelmed, under-resourced, existentially tired.

Part of me wishes I had smaller dreams so I could just conform and be content. But I believe in the Law of Attraction, and I’m trying to build something better for myself.

Still, the existential dread creeps in sometimes. If I were never born, I wouldn’t know what I was missing.

I believe in God. I believe our souls are eternal. So if I were never born, my soul would just be with the Lord — and I wouldn’t have to deal with all this emotional chaos.

Reason No. 4: My family has a history of cancer. I personally have thyroid issues, PCOS, cortisol imbalances, anxiety — all genetic.

I could easily pass these down to a child, and I can own it… I’m okay admitting my genes aren’t great. I’m perfectly fine if they end with me.

These genes can die out with me.

Reason No. 5: Women of color are THREE TIMES more likely to die during childbirth than white women.

I so happen to be a woman of color. According to the CDC, women who are black or brown are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.

In medical spaces, my life is seen as less valuable, at least statistically speaking.

But here’s the thing: I actually would like to live my life.

I’m happily married. I love my friends. I love my family. I don’t necessarily want my life to be cut short because of a child birthing issue.

I love making art. I love dancing. I love writing. I love doing content creation. I love living in the city of Las Vegas. I love traveling to new places and creating new memories.

I’m not exactly interested in seeing my life get cut short when there’s so much more life that I would like to live.

Statistically speaking, there’s a higher probability of my life getting cut short because my life is seen as less valuable in medical spaces.

Reason No. 6: The actual process of childbirth itself is just far too gruesome for me.

I’ve heard stories of possibly ripping to the back… women leaking out of their “chocolate star.”

I’ve heard stories of women ripping to the front and losing all sensation and pleasure… never being able to have an orgasm again.

I’ve heard stories of how risky epidurals are because if they’re inserted incorrectly, you could have full body paralysis for the rest of your life.

I have a massive phobia of doctors, needles, medical appointments. It just sends me into a frenzy of panic.

When you are pregnant, you are constantly being poked and prodded with needles.

In some cases, doctors have to put a glove on and put their entire hand up there.

I’m sorry. That’s just not something I can handle.

I’ve seen the visuals of childbirth and I know that it makes the area between a woman’s legs look like a volcano. It terrifies me.

I think it’s a really powerful, amazing thing for women who do choose to do it. I’m just not one of those women.

Reason No. 7: I helped raise my younger brother. I changed his diapers, soothed him when he cried, held him while he fell asleep on my chest. I feel like that scratched the maternal itch for me.

When I was 22, I also dated someone with a child. That experience was incredibly stressful — and it confirmed that I don’t want a child of my own.

I’ve worked with kids extensively — since 8th grade. In middle school, I volunteered at church watching kids while their parents were in service.

In high school, I worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor teaching kids how to swim.

In college, I landed multiple jobs in childcare centers watching little ones all the time.

The one thought I always had: “Thank God their parents are coming to pick them up soon.”

Childcare is stressful, but it ends. Parenting doesn’t. It’s 24/7, and there is no relief. Those experiences made it crystal clear that I don’t want to be a full-time parent.

Reason No. 8: A few years ago, a study found the happiest subgroup of people were unmarried, childfree women — according to the General Social Survey (GSS).

Psychology Today echoed that, noting that women who don’t feel pressured to rush marriage and kids get to choose loving, thoughtful partners — without racing against their biological clock.

I got to do that. I got to take my time and find a husband who treats me like a princess.

If I felt pressured by biology, I would’ve settled with one of the dudes I was dating before I turned 25 — and that would’ve ruined my life.

Reason No. 9: I love sleep. I cherish sleep. I’ve struggled with insomnia for years, so when I get a solid night’s rest, it’s a big deal.

If a baby kept interrupting my sleep, I’d probably get resentful — even though I know it isn’t their fault.

People don’t talk enough about how crucial it is to be well-rested. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

When you’re drained, depleted, exhausted, and depressed, you become a shell of yourself. Sleep is a requirement for happiness.

And yes, you can hire a night nurse, but HONESTLY? I’d rather allocate that type of money toward travel or anything else fun.

Reason No. 10: We live in a world filled with violence, disease, corruption, racism, war, poverty, climate collapse, and systemic failures.

Bringing a child into this world feels like being complicit in something unethical. Life is painful. That’s inevitable.

I’m not saying life isn’t beautiful too — it is — but you can’t guarantee a child will be shielded from suffering. They will feel pain.

That’s the deal when it comes to existing on this planet, and I’m not sure I want to sign my child up for it.

So yeah…

Women have been sold this fantasy from childhood — the fairy tale that we must grow up, get married, and have children.

I’m here to debunk that myth. We can live full, joyful, meaningful lives without ever having kids.

We are not a wasted womb. I’ve literally been called that — a “waste of a womb.” And I honestly don’t care.

I couldn’t care less what people think.

I’ll scream it from the rooftops: Women deserve more. We are not incubators. We are allowed to opt out. And that’s okay.

I hope this didn’t come across as too dark. I’ll always be the first in line to congratulate my friends and family on their pregnancy announcements.

Being childfree by choice is my decision — it doesn’t mean I judge anyone else for choosing differently.

At the end of the day, I just want everyone to do what makes them happiest in this lifetime.