I have always known that I do NOT want kids - and am absolutely positive that I will not change my mind.
In spite of this, my doctor refused to discuss the issue when I told him I wanted to have my tubes tied (I was 27 at the time). His response? "Oh, you'll change your mind..."
If I had had the resources and the spare time then, I would have found myself ANOTHER doctor - one who respected my choices and realized that I did *indeed* know my own mind.
Those of us who choose to remain childFREE (note I did NOT say "childless") are subjected to a constant stream of rubbish from society, such as:
"You are selfish for not wanting kids" (Riiiiiiight - and overpopulating the planet is NOT a selfish thing, riiiiiiight....)
"Who will take care of you when you grow old?" (Ummmm, if this ISN'T a selfish attitude, then what is? How could anybody WANT to burden their children this way? When I am 50 I will purchase a long-term care insurance policy. Plus, I'm sure the old folks' home is FULL of people who THOUGHT their kids would look after them, and instead they find that the kids never even visit.)
And my personal favorite: "Your life as a woman will be incomplete without children!"
(Honestly, what a slap in the face to women who actually CAN'T conceive....are they "less" of a woman than the rest of us? Puh-leese...)
I am not trying to flame those of you who already have children, nor those who have decided that they want kids. I like kids (well-behaved ones, anyway - LOL!) - I just realize that I would NOT be good "mother" material and would actually be very miserable as a mother. What a shame Andrea Yates didn't give it more thought.