On the fence about parenthood? Listen to this
5/26/202626 min
Could you see your life just as easily with children as without? What if you're not cut out for parenthood? What if you grow lonely in your old age? Or what if you have a loving partner, but you disagree on this choice? Deciding between parenthood and a child-free life requires clarity about your fears and deepest desires -- no easy task. This episode, psychotherapist and author of the book, The Baby Decision, Merle Bombardieri, helps us get clear. She discusses minimizing regret, figuring out your ideal timeline and navigating differing opinions with a partner.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Marielle Segarra· Host0:19
You're listening to Life Kit [upbeat music] from NPR. Hey, it's Marielle. You know, I feel lucky to live in a time in which becoming a parent is increasingly a choice, right? Not just the default setting for your life path or the next natural step. It's a big deal to bring another life into the world, and deciding if you wanna do that is a question that's bound to raise a bunch more.
Merle Bombardieri· Guest0:46
The baby decision is never just about baby or no baby. It is who am I, who is my partner, who are we as a couple, and what hasn't happened yet that we want to have happen before we die?
Marielle Segarra· Host0:59
Merle Bombardieri is a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and author of a book called The Baby Decision. She's been coaching people through this choice about whether to have a child since she was 29.
Merle Bombardieri· Guest1:11
So it's, uh, it's almost 50 years I've been doing this, and I love doing it.
Marielle Segarra· Host1:15
Merle started down this path after facing her own baby decision when her then boyfriend proposed to her. She told him no at first because she knew he absolutely wanted kids, and she was pretty sure she didn't.
Merle Bombardieri· Guest1:27
And he ju- he just said, "Well,