The Biological Clock?

Question

Do you believe there is such thing as a biological clock that governs women's desire to get pregnant?

Do you think it's something that naturally occurs in all women?

Do you believe there is a similar clock in men? If so, is it physical, emotional or maybe social?

I tend to believe there must be such a thing in women, because getting pregnant at a certain age seems to be the natural, desired life progression for so many women I know. But I myself don't seem to have one...I've never wanted children and don't suppose I ever will (being well into my "childbearing years" and not a single audible tick). But I am curious as to whether it's a sort of natural population control that some women don't, prompted by a society where I can and do control my reproductive life...but I don't have the first clue about how or whether men experience this.

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

I definitely think it's a natural occurance for both sexes to wish to reproduce at some point in their lives. No matter how "civilized" we are, in essence we're still animals. The most natural driving force of all life forms is to procreate. This ensures the survival of the species.

We lead different lives than most animals which is why we can choose whether or not to produce children but at some point, whether a person is young or old, I think they will have the desire for children.

Fulfilling that desire is a completely different matter however.

Answer 2

Maybe, although not in me. I don't want kids. But people hat are infertile stil craves kids, so what would be going on with their bio clock?

Answer 3

Logically it makes sense that the majority of men and women would have a strong urge to procreate. My drive to procreate is pretty weak-but much of that is affected and controlled by my attitudes-not my biology. I did feel a few stirrings in my 30's but my brain quickly took over and I knew it would be a disaster-as I wanted to travel a great deal which doesn't work well with a stable family life for a child. Also-it's been proven of late that as societies prosper-the members choose to have less and less children. Whether it's because of better access to birth control or whether attitudes are affected by wanting a better quality of life for the children they do have-I don't know-it's very subjective and no one seems to know the reasons for it. But it is very interesting how the supposed biological clock can be affected so strongly by how prosperous a society becomes.

Answer 4

Men can have a biological clock too. A man generally gets to a point in his life where he notices that all of the women his own age are married with children or divorced with children, and that all of the younger childless women prefer men closer to their own age. At this point he may begin to seriously consider settling down. Not every man has the wealth of a Hugh Heffner or  Donald Trump, where they can attract an endless supply of young, childless women.

Answer 5

No, I don't think there is a biological explanation for the desire to get pregnant. There is, however, a biological explanation for the decreasing ability to get pregnant with age.

Answer 6

There is definitely some kind of biological (or rather "psychological") clock in men but I'm not sure women have it. Most guys I know who are near or over 30 and don't have a family yet are too eager to settle down while most women I know don't plan on having children before the age of 30. Of course it's easier for men to start a family because most of the time it will be not them whose career suffers a break because of having children.

Answer 7

I don't believe the biological clock is as natural as society wants us to believe it is. If it were, there wouldn't be entire groups of people that identify as "childfree."

I think society assumes everyone wants to have children, because for many people, there is some perceived sort of necessity. For the very few who don't have the desire to reproduce, society tells you it's just a phase, you'll change your mind, or you just don't understand the miracle of having a child. This doesn't mean that you do change, it is a phase, or you will ever understand or want to understand the miracle of having a child... it just means they want you to believe that you are inadequate for not wanting the same things.

The biological clock is much the same for men, I believe. Most men want children, but there are a group of men for whom children are optional or unnecessary.

Overall, I believe the biological clock is a societal scheme, set in place to make you feel like less of a woman if you have no desire to have children or to make you feel like reproduction is inevitable.

Answer 8

I definitely don't have one.  Despite the fact that I am only 17, I have always found children to be annoying little things.  You'll never catch me changing diapers.  I'm a kitten person.

Answer 9

Its a psychological problem caused by a feeling that you have no self worth unless you are a mother and performing your human duty so to speak. Its pathetic and those women obviously put off having children for a reason, it was not important to them, so having one right before menopause makes no sense and seems like a really idiotic decision.