Today's the day, Shandies! We've been wanting to cover the topic of childlessness for quite some time, and when Sharleen read Ruby Warrington's newest book, Women Without Kids, she wouldn't take no for an answer in getting Ruby on the podcast! This conversation is for every person, with or without kids. Few books have impacted Sharleen the way Ruby's did, and today we dive deep into the world of Womanhood WITHOUT Motherhood. How often have you heard terms like "maternal instinct" and "labor of love", or phrases like "You don't know true love until you have children" and "But who will look after you when you're old?" Today, with Ruby Warrington's expertise, we examine The Motherhood Spectrum, the truth behind "having it all", and whether or not we can argue with "nature". We discuss the (very real) fear of regret, finding meaning and legacy as a non-parent, the guilt in not bestowing our parents with grandchildren, how to age as a woman in our youth-obsessed society, and of course, Climate Change. This conversation will hopefully guide your heart and help you hear to something inside yourself, versus listening to what so many of us have been conditioned to believe for a lifetime. If you experience grief over the path not traveled or have felt your dearest friendships wither as you and/or your friends have started making babies, this episode is very much for you. Thanks to our sponsors! - Go to https://www.lomi.com/SHANDY and use promo code SHANDY at checkout to save $50! - Go to https://www.cozyearth.com/SHANDY and use code SHANDY at checkout to save up to 40%! More Ruby Warrington: - "Women Without Kids", The Book: https://amzn.to/3MfLT7T - Women Without Kids Podcast: https://www.rubywarrington.com/women-without-kids-podcasts - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubywarrington - Website: https://www.rubywarrington.com Time Stamps: 0:00 - Welcome To Ruby Warrington! 2:58 - What Inspired Her To Write ‘Women Without Kids’ And How Is The Result Different Than Anticipated? 8:59 - How Many Tears Did She Shed Writing This Book? 10:00 - The Motherhood Spectrum 14:46 - The Mommy Binary 19:19 - Who Are We To Argue With “Nature”? 25:41 - Labor Of Love 29:54 - “Having It All” 33:19 - Climate Change 35:29 - Regret 41:54 - Purpose 44:54 - Legacy 46:42 - Guilt Over Not Bestowing “Grandparenthood” To Our Parents 53:03 - Finding Positivity In Aging As A Woman In Society 55:10 - Female Friendships 1:00:17 - Fear-Based Decisions 1:03:16 - Grieving The Path Not Traveled 1:06:36 - Shandy Debrief If you have a relationship question, write us at: [email protected] Subscribe and watch the episodes on YouTube! https://bit.ly/SubscribeDearShandy More Dear Shandy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dearshandy Facebook - https://fb.me/dearshandy More Sharleen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharleenjoynt Blog - http://www.alltheprettypandas.com More Andy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/machinelevine Produced by Gabrielle Galon - https://www.instagram.com/gabsamillion Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/dear-shandy/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices