These two images are part of a set which accompany my poem, Romb. Each represents different aspects of what it means to be a woman who is Childfree By Choice. On the one hand, I feel happy, content, free. My life is filled with joy from so many places - my dog, poetry, music, art, everything I create, far too full for there to ever be space for a child. As I say in my poem: “empty does not mean it is / without purpose, / without beauty, / without joy, / empty is not lonely, / or cold, / or wasted potential, / empty is exactly what I make of it”.

On the other hand, society is so full of judgement for Childfree women, laws in so many countries make it harder than ever to be childfree especially with increasingly restricted access to abortion and in some places, birth control. It’s even practically impossible for a woman of my age, with no children and no partner, to get any permanent treatment like sterilisation. This can feel so restrictive; it can feel like you have no voice, like your hands are tied, having a uterus feels like your own body is against you, rotting and ruining you from the inside out.

This is what I tried to show in these 2 illustrations. Hopefully some of you can relate.

Of course, not everyone will feel the same way about pregnancy and raising children and that is ok. But this IS my experience with my own body and I don’t want to hide what it’s like anymore.