Here Are 3 Reasons Why So Many Ladies Hate Babies

Never mind their adorable giggles...or the way they perpetuate the circle of life. Babies, today, seem to have become the enemies of ambitious and adventurous women. In short, "they ruin your life," says Sanya, 30, an account executive from Mumbai. A baby seems like a puking, pooping menace to Sanya's sexy, new marriage. She loves spontaneous dinners and relaxing, beach vacations with her husband, Karan. A baby, they agree, would be the ultimate buzzkill.

Cute Career Killers

Babies are taking a backseat as women today have become highly educated and arguably more focused on their careers than ever before. "Working is hard enough, and while maternity leave is necessary, you run the risk of falling behind at a job that might not wait for you," says Avanti, 34, an advertising executive from Delhi. "And women have to work harder to maintain their careers after having a child."

Infant Invasion

Some women enjoy babies, but simply don't want to have children. But others are becoming more blunt about their hatred of infants. "I can't stand babies, and unfortunately, they're at every turn," says Niharika, 29, a copywriter from Bengaluru, who claims babies are lording over her Instagram feed. Admitting to hating babies in the era of attachment parenting—think Alicia Silverstone passing food from her mouth to her son's—remains taboo. "Women always have to say, 'I love kids, I just don't want them'. You can't ever just be like, 'I don't like them'," says Saira, 35, a writer from Delhi.

Baby Backlash

After Saira Tweeted that she actually doesn't like babies or children, commenters snapped back. But she treasures her independence and says having a baby would feel like she was losing herself a little. Child- haters may be in the minority, but they're proof that happily-ever-after doesn't have to include a freshly swaddled baby. Sanya says she'll eventually try for a child, because she worries that she might later regret not having one. But she's putting it off as long as possible. "I have to start winding down my life," she says, "before I end it.