Beyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids

Population Balance
Beyond 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones.

Episodes

  1. Laura - on escaping the Trad Wife culture of the U.S. South

    NOV 5

    Laura - on escaping the Trad Wife culture of the U.S. South

    Raised in the conservative Deep South of the United States, Laura always believed having kids was a requirement. When she found out it was optional, suddenly everything changed. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/laura   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    31 min
  2. Ash - on rejecting Mormonism and motherhood

    OCT 22

    Ash - on rejecting Mormonism and motherhood

    A Mormon upbringing, an accidental pregnancy, and lack of access to abortion services drove Ash to bear a child against her wishes. Committed to taking back her stolen autonomy, Ash chooses a surprising path. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/ash   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    42 min
  3. Hans Peter - on his most loving gift: a vasectomy at 25

    OCT 8

    Hans Peter - on his most loving gift: a vasectomy at 25

    Raised in a small Catholic village in Germany, curious 13yo Hans-Peter used his first paycheck to buy a Bible. A deep dive into Chritianity drove him to stand up for reproductive rights and ecological sustainability, and on his 25th birthday, he gifted himself a vasectomy.  See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/hans-peter   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    25 min
  4. Sara - on the relief of IVF failure

    SEP 24

    Sara - on the relief of IVF failure

    Unable to have children naturally, and driven by her fear of regretting childlessness, Sara sought IVF in her late 30s - a journey that was physically, emotionally, and financially harrowing - only to realize that she had just dodged a pronatalist bullet. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/sara   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    25 min
  5. Tania & Brian - on love, life, and 38 animals

    SEP 10

    Tania & Brian - on love, life, and 38 animals

    Deeply in love with each other and their 38 animals, Tania (a Ukrainian asylee) and Brian (a Latino/Native American) share their vastly different upbringing that set them on their childfree paths.  See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/tania-brian   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    31 min
  6. Vincie - on pushing back against Asian gender roles

    AUG 27

    Vincie - on pushing back against Asian gender roles

    Born and raised in densely-populated Hong Kong, Vincie shares her journey of wrestling with traditional Asian family norms and creating her own chosen family. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/vincie   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    30 min
  7. Lili - on breaking free from large-family norms in Haiti

    AUG 14

    Lili - on breaking free from large-family norms in Haiti

    Born and raised in Haiti, and now living in the US, Lili talks about how she found peace after many years of dreading motherhood within a pronatalist culture that values large families. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/lili   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks beginning Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    24 min
  8. Juliana - on choosing childfree in Colombia

    JUL 30

    Juliana - on choosing childfree in Colombia

    Raised within the religiously-conservative Colombian culture with a lonely and isolated childhood, Juliana describes her journey of finding liberation by rejecting harmful societal norms and choosing a radical pathway of becoming a childfree environmentalist and animal rights activist. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/juliana   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks beginning Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    26 min
  9. Mary Pat - on shaking loose from her Catholic roots

    JUL 30

    Mary Pat - on shaking loose from her Catholic roots

    Raised in a large Irish-Catholic family at the height of the 1960s liberation movements in the United States, Mary Pat unpacks her many life transformations, from rejecting her pro-life roots and choosing a small biological and adoptive family to becoming a staunch advocate for the rights of people, animals, and the planet. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/mary-pat   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks beginning Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    34 min
  10. Brittany - on leaving an extremist religious community

    JUL 30

    Brittany - on leaving an extremist religious community

    Raised in an extremist religious community within the United States, Brittany, the youngest of 11 children, recounts her story of navigating her aspirations for freedom against the backdrop of an intensely oppressive and neglectful upbringing and how she mustered the courage to break free.  See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript:  https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/brittany   About Beyond Pronatalism 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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing ecological and reproductive justice by confronting pronatalism.  Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks beginning Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024 Population Balance

    37 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

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 courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones.

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada