Beyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids

About Beyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids

To have or not have kids is one of the biggest decisions we make in our lives, and yet how many of us know that we even have a choice about how we define and create our families? Beyond Pronatalism host Nandita Bajaj interviews women and men from diverse backgrounds who are courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones.

Publisher

Population Balance

Category

kids & family · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Jun 2024

Latest episode

28 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

54 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Sarah Benesch | The Life We're Taught to Want

   Growing up in the counterculture of the 1960s, Sarah felt alienated when her peers embraced the traditional path of marriage and family, while she pursued a life of scholarship. Pulled by the strength of pronatalism, she briefly experimented with marriage only to realize that path was not for her. In her book, Pronatalism: Discourses and Counterdiscourses, Sarah examines the pronatalist tropes that shape women's lives, from the "biological clock" to "having it all." Now retired, Sarah enjoys her life as a "nother" and the stimulation and community bonds of her Brooklyn neighborhood. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/sarah-benesch Interested in being on the show? Submit your story here: https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast. About Beyond Pronatalism To have or not have kids is one of the biggest decisions we make in our lives, and yet how many of us know that we even have a choice about how we define and create our families? Beyond Pronatalism host Nandita Bajaj interviews people from diverse backgrounds who are courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing the rights and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet by confronting pronatalism and other harmful ideologies. Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024-2026 Population Balance

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   David | Collapse and the Ethics of Procreation

   Raised in a conservative Christian family in Germany, David was raised with the belief that marriage and children were inevitable, an assumption he carried into his relationships despite privately questioning the morality of procreation. When he learned that his fertility was severely impaired, he felt an unexpected sense of relief. As his concerns about climate change, animal suffering, and an uncertain future intensified, David committed to his childfree convictions, underwent a vasectomy, and now works as a vegan advocate. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/david Interested in being on the show? Submit your story here: https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast. About Beyond Pronatalism To have or not have kids is one of the biggest decisions we make in our lives, and yet how many of us know that we even have a choice about how we define and create our families? Beyond Pronatalism host Nandita Bajaj interviews people from diverse backgrounds who are courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing the rights and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet by confronting pronatalism and other harmful ideologies. Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024-2026 Population Balance

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Alex | Reimagining Life Without Children

   Alex grew up immersed in the pronatalism of suburban family life, and she assumed marriage and motherhood were in her future. Now married, a recent health diagnosis has complicated her plans to conceive. Alex's strong environmental values, minimalist approach to consumption, and desire for 'slow travel' have kept her and her husband open to the possibilities of a fulfilling childfree life. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast/alex Interested in being on the show? Submit your story here: https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast. About Beyond Pronatalism To have or not have kids is one of the biggest decisions we make in our lives, and yet how many of us know that we even have a choice about how we define and create our families? Beyond Pronatalism host Nandita Bajaj interviews people from diverse backgrounds who are courageously and creatively navigating pronatalism - the powerful pressures to have children - whether from family, friends, or the culture at large. Through intimate conversations, they discuss how they are forging unconventional pathways to fulfillment, including redefining what family means to them - whether that means being childfree or childless, having biological children, adopting or fostering children or animals, or creating close-knit communities of friends and loved ones. Beyond Pronatalism is brought to you by Population Balance - the only nonprofit organization advancing the rights and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet by confronting pronatalism and other harmful ideologies. Visit https://www.populationbalance.org/beyond-pronatalism-podcast to subscribe, learn more, and submit your story! Episodes released every two weeks. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. Copyright 2024-2026 Population Balance

Who has been a guest on Beyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Joe
• Sonia
• Aamer
• Jennifer

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

358

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

16 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

54

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

51

Contact Beyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Beyond Pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids