Women who decide not to have children often feel as if they have to defend themselves against the childbearing majority. They can often feel set apart and judged by society.
"Women who don't want children are often seen in a bad light, especially because having babies is seen as fashioable at the minute - loads of celebrities are having children or adopting. People don't understand why women don't want to experience something as precious as motherhood," says our expert.
Discrimination?
The refusal to procreate is thought of as a deviance from what is natural for a woman, not just in the UK but all over the world. In Japan, for instance, childless couples are labelled 'parasites' and accused of being unpatriotic. In Germany and Russia, there is talk of introducing disadvantages for childless couples, and in Slovakia there is even talk of a 'childless tax.'
Demonised for not having children - Childless by choice: Women who don't want children. Special report on women who don't want kids
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