The Post Disapproves of My Uterus

It's been a few weeks since the media has taken me to task for my infant-free womb and husband-free apartment. I haven't heard a peep about my declining post-27 egg supply, or even read any heart-warming miscarriage statistics. So a hearty thanks to the Washington Post, who have expended some ink to tell me about the hip kids that spawn in their 20s.

I'm a big believer in living life as you see fit. I have friends with kids, and many without. I have married and single friends, and even a few fellow divorcees. Do what you want, I probably don't care. Plus, all of the people in the article seem like lovely, happy families.

But I get sick and tired of family trend articles that have no connection to reality. Acoording to today's accompanying online chat, the reason everyone delays having kids until their 30s is that we want to "climb the career ladder," and that couples have children the latest in Washington, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Here's the part that makes me cranky: those are four of the most expensive cities in America. Did anyone realize that maybe it's not the naked, self-absorbed Washington ambition that's causing people to delay childrearing? Could it maybe be, oh, the fact that people want to provide decent homes and good schools, and simply can't manage it yet? I can barely feed myself in this town. (Thankfully, a few posters on the online chat made the exact same point, with a little less froth.)

The "cold-hearted ambition" theory strikes me as remarkably similar to working/stay-at-home mom debates that imply that working is exclusively a matter of choice, and ignores the idea that maybe both parents have to work to put food on the table.

In conclusion, I already have parents. So if the media could knock off the babymaking guilt trips, that would be very helpful.