What makes women want children?

[visceral]

Is it a circuit in the brain? Is it the effect of a high estrogen level? Could you do a brain scan on a group of women who had children or wanted them in the future, then one of women who had chosen not to have children, and pinpoint something that the first group had and the second one didn't?

[AzurePhoenix]

Is it a circuit in the brain? Is it the effect of a high estrogen level? Could you do a brain scan on a group of women who had children or wanted them in the future, then one of women who had chosen not to have children, and pinpoint something that the first group had and the second one didn't?

Would you be suggesting that perhaps testoterony manly men never want children? It's sort've a biological prerogative inherent to most any living thing, pass on your DNA to the next generation. Humans are just more complex than usual and are able to pursue other goals more willingly and superficially overcome our instincts. Put career first, etc. Of course there are people out there who don't want children, but I'm willing to bet it's a more complex socio-pyschological issue than it is neurological in most cases.

[visceral]

I know it's more than merely neurological. I would just like to know where it comes from. Ostensibly, it's an instinct in most people. I'd like to know if there is something in common neurologically between people who don't want them.

[cameron marical]

How do you know its not only neurological?

[DJBruce]

How do you know its not only neurological?

Factors playing into people having kids include biological and social reasons. The biological reasons are what AzurePhenoix discussed when she said that all animals wish to try and pass on their DNA to the next generation. Socially people wish to have children because, at least in America and most of Europe, it is consider the norm for young adults to settle down start a family. As to were this norm comes from I would have to say it stems from the biological drive to have children.

 

As for why women want children, I believe it stems again from the social norm that the role of a women is to grow up, get married, and have children. While men are condition that their role is to grow up, find a wife, and provide and protect for his family. Although this norm is still true of many people in our society, it has began to become weaker.

[dr.syntax]

Well, It does seem rather obvious, evolution demands it of a very significant portion of the female portion of the population if our species is to survive. ...DS

[KagakuOtaku]

I believe dr.syntax is correct. It is natural instict for us women to protect children. It might have something to do with a girl's menstrual cycle...Perhaps this urge kicks in at puberty?

[Moontanman]

Is it a circuit in the brain? Is it the effect of a high estrogen level? Could you do a brain scan on a group of women who had children or wanted them in the future, then one of women who had chosen not to have children, and pinpoint something that the first group had and the second one didn't?

 

I'm not sure what you are getting at here, I've known many women who had no interest in children but still had a normal sex drive. I've also known men who were crazy about the idea of having children (myself included). There are so many facets to this question I'm not sure it can be answered as simply as your question seems to indicate.

 

Biological drives are present in humans, the need for sex is a big part of why people have children, the lions share of children are born more due to the drive to have sex than an actual drive to have children. Children are a by product of the sex drive Humans can and do choose to have sex but not have children all the time. It is also true that a womans sex drive is higher when they are most fertile during their monthly ovulation cycle.

 

Of course they have a word for a woman who uses her monthly cycle to keep from having a child... pregnant