You know what I think when I read this? How good it is that women now CAN choose whether go for kids or carriere, and no one should be allowed to criticize anyone for the choice they make. My mother was also smart, and wanted to be a p doc. She got to take a bit more school than most other peasants daughters at that time, but never near anything like p doc of course. Instead, she married a man she did not love because she could not have the one she wanted, and got three kids. Then she did something that horrified everyone that knew her, divordced her husband! After a while on her own with three children she didn't see any other way out that marrying again, and then she got me. From I learned language I knew all the negative things that children came with. Luckily I do not conform very easily, so I decided to have 8 children. When I got a tiny bit more experienced with children, I decided that three is more than enough though Seeing that many other here has experienced having mothers that felt they were born for something else than having children, makes me think it is very important that we all choose for ourselves what we feel like. I am happy that I have my child, but I can also see that there is a limit to how many that I would like to have. And even though I value every second with my girl, and try to have so much time with her that I can, I do not fear the moment she is old enough to move out, because I know I wont be bored (I am on purpose not considering anything like disease or death, what shall come, will come). I have plenty of hobbies that I have put on the shelves for the moment, but they wont run away from me. If I feel the interest of starting on it again when I have a chance, I can do that.

I think what's most important is that you feel ready for it, and that you want it. I don't think life is bad without children, but it's definately not bad with them either

Charlie