HeyJaredBeyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids
To have or not have kids is one of the biggest decisions we make in our lives, and yet how many of us know that we even have a choice about how we define and create our families?Beyond Pronatalism host Nandita Bajaj interviews women and men from diverse backgrounds who are…
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 4
- Latest publication
- Sep 15, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 7, 2026
Latest episodes
David | Collapse and the Ethics of Procreation (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Raised in a conservative Christian family in Germany, David was raised with the belief that marriage and children were inevitable, an assumption he carried into his relationships despite privately questioning the morality of procreation. When he learned that his fertility was severely impaired, he felt an unexpected sense of relief. As his concerns about climate change, animal suffering, and an uncertain future intensified, David committed to his childfree convictions, underwent a vasectomy, and
Alex | Reimagining Life Without Children (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Alex grew up immersed in the pronatalism of suburban family life, and she assumed marriage and motherhood were in her future. Now married, a recent health diagnosis has complicated her plans to conceive. Alex's strong environmental values, minimalist approach to consumption, and desire for 'slow travel' have kept her and her husband open to the possibilities of a fulfilling childfree life. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronata
Therese Shechter | Joyfully Dismantling the "Womanhood" Script (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Therese grew up assuming marriage and motherhood were simply part of her future, even though she sensed from early adulthood that neither felt right for her. It wasn't until she was 40, as she became a documentary filmmaker with her first film, I Was a Teenage Feminist , that she realized she was already living a fulfilling life. That awakening led her to examine — with meticulous research and a strong dose humor — the powerful influence of pronatalism in other films, including her most recent d
Nathan | Being Childfree: The Personal is Political (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Nathan knew from a young age that he never wanted children, a resolve that only got stronger as he woke up to pronatalism in college. Now in his late 30s and in a committed childfree relationship, Nathan values the freedom that being childfree allows him — from reflecting in solitude and going on long bike rides with his partner, to enriching his political awareness and writing about social justice and animal rights. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.populati
Publishing over time
Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.
Recurring subjects
Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.
Audience
No verified audience measurement yet.
About this data
Counts cover the work we have indexed. Tone needs enough text and a confident classification. Excerpts and episode notes are not full articles or transcripts.
Identity or attribution wrong? Suggest a correction.
See coverage about Beyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids