Big Brains Why Are More Women Saying No To Having Kids? With Peggy O'Donnell Heffington
Nov 13, 2025
Peggy O'Donnell Heffington, an Assistant Instructional Professor at the University of Chicago and author of "Without Children," delves into the long history of non-motherhood. She explains how societal factors, economic pressures, and historical events have influenced declining fertility rates. The discussion touches on the political shaming of childless women, the impact of workplace policies, and the importance of supportive family policies in making parenthood viable. Peggy also highlights that many women today simply choose not to have children, reflecting a shift in personal priorities.
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Non-Motherhood Is Historically Normal
- Women have long actively controlled their fertility; non-motherhood is not a new, modern invention.
- Historical patterns show fertility rose and fell in response to economic and political pressures.
Motherhood As Civic Duty
- In early U.S. history, the pressure to bear children was framed as a civic, nationalist duty.
- Republican motherhood cast childbearing as a public contribution to the American republic.
Teddy Roosevelt's Harsh Rhetoric
- Teddy Roosevelt publicly praised mothers and insulted women who opted out of having children.
- He compared childless women to soldiers who run away and called them "as useful to society as unleavened bread."
