Posted: November 25, 2015 Contributor: PRJKT RUBY
The New Reason Women Are Delaying Motherhood
A report by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service has revealed a new reason that many women are now opting to wait longer to have children – fear of being labeled a ” bad mother.” In the new report, nearly 3/4 of the thousands of women interviewed stated that they were concerned that juggling a career along with the demands of a family would not allow them to be the “perfect mother.” In fact, a total of roughly 71% cited this as the reason for waiting to become moms.
Many of these women said they were afraid of how others (family, co-workers, friends) would view them. Fear of working while being a mom led many women to worry they could be labeled ‘part-time mothers.’
Other reasons given for delaying motherhood reportedly included not finding a suitable partner, not feeling ready for the responsibility of a child, not having the finances to back a family and also not owning their own home.
The women included in this survey all hoped to have children one day and were between the ages of 20 to 40.
For women, the stakes are high and the judgement from others is sadly still present. Many women feel impossible pressure to be perfect in all aspects of life. From managing relationships at home and at work to not wanting to take time off or maternity leave, women have a lot to juggle and this new report shows that the stress does take a toll.
The good news is that no matter the reason for delaying motherhood, there are so many pregnancy prevention options for women these days. From birth control pills to IUDs, delaying childbearing has never been more accessible than it is today.