Child-Free by Choice: Why More Women Are Opting Out of Motherhood (with Ashleigh Russell)

<p>Is having kids still the &quot;default&quot; path for women — or is that starting to change? This week, Soraya and Jasmine sit down with Ashleigh Russell to talk about her decision to be child-free, and why she&#39;s never wavered on it.</p><p><br></p><p>They get into the judgment that comes with saying &quot;I don&#39;t want kids&quot; out loud, the real financial cost of raising a child in the UK today, why &quot;selfish&quot; might actually be &quot;self-aware,&quot; and what it&#39;s really like navigating relationships, family, and even medical professionals when children simply aren&#39;t part of your plan.</p><p><br></p><p>Whether you&#39;re child-free, a parent, still deciding, or just curious — this is an honest, unfiltered conversation about choice, identity, and building a life that&#39;s actually yours.</p><p><br></p><p>PS: Apologies for Soraya&#39;s sound at the beginning. The heatwave and using a fan is not a good combo for the mic and the sound</p><p><br></p><p>Females Thriving Over 30 is the podcast for millennial women navigating love, life, confidence, finances, and starting over — one honest conversation at a time.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow @femalesthrivingoverthirty for more.</p><p>Contact us on: fto30podcast@gmail.com</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>childfree by choice, child free by choice, childless by choice, why I don&#39;t want kids, choosing not to have kids, childfree women, childfree lifestyle, dink lifestyle, cost of raising a child uk, childfree in your 30s, is it selfish to not want kids, motherhood is not for everyone, females thriving over 30, millennial women podcast, childfree millennial</p>