There's an epidemic sweeping all corners of the nation and, even though females seem to be the main victims, no one is safe. No one knows how it's transmitted. Maybe it's airborne, maybe it's spread through direct contact, or maybe it's droplet. No matter how it's contracted, the larger problem is that there seems to be only one cure, a lifestyle-altering cure. I'm talking about Baby Fever, where the only cure seems to be actually having a baby.
It's seems like nowadays something is wrong with you if you haven't caught the fever. Facebook is full of articles about baby fever and what it's like to have it, especially while in college. It is also filled with pictures of babies or statuses about how someone is excited to be a parent in the future. Seeing so many people my age flaunting their baby bumps and babies on Facebook simply sends shudders down my spine. As cute as babies may be, pushing one out of my own body terrifies me and is something I don't plan on doing anytime soon.
Children take up a lot of time, which is something I simply don't have as a college student. I'm selfish with my time, I don't like being on a schedule or having to be home at a certain time. There are mornings that I leave my house at eight in the morning and don't come back until midnight. This is one of the main reason I won't get a dog. I love dogs, and find them to be the cutest things in the world however, I simply can't make time for one right now. Dogs are needy. They need to be cleaned, taken outside, fed, and spent quality time with. Babies are probably one hundred times harder to take care of than a canine companion and isn't something I see myself doing anytime soon.
Babies are extremely expensive, too. They need diapers, clothes, wipes, toys, food, doctor visits, and a million other hidden costs. Like many other college students, I'm living on a tight budget, one I can't afford a dog on, much less another human being. The money I do have I enjoy spending on myself, whether it be clothes, nice dinners, or vacations. At this point in my life I'm selfish and not willing to make the financial sacrifices that it would take to raise a child.
Last but not least, pregnancy is terrifying. First of all, you're carrying another life inside you for around 40 weeks, and the whole time you just have to hope that nothing goes wrong. Labor itself is probably one of the worst pains that humans go through and I plan on delaying that as long as possible. Vaginal birth is literally fitting a camel through the eye of a needle and a C-section is getting cut open and having the baby pulled out of you. I just don't see either of these being fun experiences.
I don't hate children, and in fact I think I'd like to have one in the future, maybe about ten years down the road. To me it seems more appropriate to have a baby once I'm financially stable and have my student loans payed off. It'll also be more practical once I'm ready to quit going out with my girls on the weekend and won't mind staying at home. I'll need to be a more selfless person before this milestone occurs in my life, but at least I realize this. One day I'll drink the water and catch the fever, but for now I'll continue to be a germaphobe.
