21 Things Only Millennial Women Understand About the To-Have-a-Baby-or-Not Conundrum

*sees baby, runs to bar, has life crisis*

Clothing, Eyewear, Glasses, Vision care, Lip, Cheek, Hairstyle, Sleeve, Chin, Forehead,
(Image credit: Giphy)

Much like Britney Spears circa the best movie of all time, many millennials are reaching a crossroads. Yeah, we still hit the club (note: "the club" is code for "the couch with boxed wine"), and yeah, many of us still troll Tinder—but, guys: babies. They're super cute, and apparently it's socially acceptable to have them now that we're grown ass women with jobs and non-depleted bank accounts (ahem, maybe). 

Of course, some women never want kids, and that's fine. Others want all the kids ever, and that's also fine. But how do you know what you want? Deciding whether or not to have kids is stressful AF, and we're parsing through the experience in a way we can all relate to: GIFs, aka the language of our people. 

When your period's late and at first you're like:

Hair, Lip, Fun, Cheek, People, Hairstyle, Skin, Chin, Forehead, Social group,

(Image credit: Giphy)

But then you're like:

Hairstyle, Temple, Earrings, Street fashion, Body piercing, Sweater, Portrait,

(Image credit: Giphy)

Meanwhile, your friend has a baby and on the outside you're all:

Nose, Lip, Cheek, Hairstyle, Eye, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow, Iris, Collar,

(Image credit: Giphy)

But on the inside, you're low-key panicking:

Nose, Mouth, Lip, Cheek, Hairstyle, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow, Photograph, Red,

(Image credit: Giphy)

And then you see a newborn and you're just like:

Brown, Yellow, Text, Amber, Font, World, Heat, Graphic design,

(Image credit: Giphy)

But then you realize it's happy hour and you're all:

Clothing, Eyewear, Glasses, Vision care, Hairstyle, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow, Photograph, Jewellery,

(Image credit: Giphy)

Meanwhile, your friend can't stop talking about motherhood, and this is you:

Nose, Finger, Lip, Cheek, Brown, Hairstyle, Skin, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow,

(Image credit: Giphy)

And when she tries to tell you she still goes out, you pull a this:

Lip, Cheek, Brown, Hairstyle, Skin, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow, Photograph, White,

(Image credit: Giphy)

Because honestly, you can't imagine giving up these moments:

Hair, Human, Lip, Fun, People, Hairstyle, Social group, Photograph, Facial expression, Interaction,

(Image credit: Giphy)

But then you think, WHO SAYS I HAVE TO GIVE THEM UP, future child? #feminism

Lip, Brown, Hairstyle, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow, Photograph, Facial expression, Eyelash, Jaw,

(Image credit: Giphy)

And then you're like, what is life, even:

Lip, Cheek, People, Chin, Forehead, Social group, Eyebrow, Photograph, Community, Facial expression,

(Image credit: Giphy)

Anyway, what business do you have getting pregnant? You're basically still a child, right? 

Sleeveless shirt, Muscle, Maroon, Brown hair, Active tank, Sports jersey, Hair accessory, Headpiece, Headband, Throat,

(Image credit: Giphy)

Then your friend asks you to babysit, which you imagine will be like this:

Hairstyle, Child, Baby & toddler clothing, Toddler, Interior design, Hair accessory, Curtain, Blond, Baby, Costume,

(Image credit: Giphy)

But really it's like this, which can't bode well for the future:

Nose, Lip, Cheek, Hairstyle, Skin, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow, Photograph, Eyelash,

(Image credit: Giphy)

Then you go home and freak out even more because your girlfriend/boyfriend/random cat you live with announces they're ready to have kids:

People, Social group, Text, Photograph, Black, Photography, Fur clothing, Fur, Snapshot, Photo caption,

(Image credit: Giphy)

The thought of not drinking for nine months has got you like:

Drink, Monochrome, Drinkware, Tableware, Monochrome photography, Black-and-white, Drinking, Serveware, Portrait, Vintage clothing,

(Image credit: Giphy)

Also, it can't be good that your approach to money is basically this:

Hairstyle, Shoulder, Photograph, Picture frame, Interior design, Long hair, Snapshot, Paint, Abdomen, Plaster,

(Image credit: Giphy)

But whatever, you're a grown woman and you can do this!

Nose, Mouth, Lip, Hairstyle, Music, Chin, Microphone, Entertainment, Music artist, Performing arts,

(Image credit: Giphy)

So you force yourself to YouTube birthing videos for inspiration, only to realize your vagina just wasn't cut out for this:

Eyebrow, Photograph, Temple, Blond, Snapshot, Woodwind instrument, Makeover, Gesture, Ceremony, Hearing,

(Image credit: Giphy)

But ugh, then you see a random baby on the street and melt inside all over again:

Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Style, Fashion, Eyelash, Brown hair, Blond, Hair coloring, Fur, Hair accessory,

(Image credit: Giphy)

So you weigh the pros and cons for a million years, and are finally like, f*ck it, I still don't know, the end, bye forever.

Eyewear, Vision care, Lip, Sunglasses, Photograph, Monochrome photography, Style, Black-and-white, Jaw, Monochrome,

(Image credit: Giphy)

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Mehera Bonner
Entertainment Editor

Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm. She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.