The Soloist, Contributor

The latest news making our girlfriend circle involves the break-up of yet another relationship because of a refusal to get pregnant. This is the third such case to come to my attention.

Somewhere between the first sexual encounter or at least within the first six months, the woman in question always explained that she was career oriented girl and preferred a life with no husband, with a dog, nieces and nephews who go home to their parents after visiting her. The men seem to get it at first, then change course.

This relationship was 18 months old when she realised that her ex thought she was joking because, 'every woman must want a baby'! So when he walked in on her taking her pill one night and snatched the packet, only to flush it down the toilet, she calmly placed his toothbrush and change of clothing into a scandal bag and showed him the door.

The second relationship involved a 40-year-old who had slipped back into the 'going-out-with-the-girls' routine for two years before she met the baby-hungry man. He was smooth; swept her off her feet and she sensed, even before he voiced it, that he was not the fatherly type. She breathed a sigh of relief and settled down, even renting out her townhouse and moving in with him.

Regular fixture

Then, his best friend's wife had twins and he started to babysit regularly. He suddenly wanted to be a dad. In fact, instead of going to the child's place, the twins became such a regular fixture, their place felt like a nursery. He started to drop hints like, "someone to take care of you in old age". She reminded him that his grandfather was now in an old people's home, but to no avail. Seemed he'd found his biological clock and it was ticking louder than Big Ben!

So she did what every 21st century career woman does: move out when he was away, left him a dismissal notice via the voicemail, gave her tenant notice, changed all her numbers and checked into her best friend's guest room 'til he got over it.

Number three was a little different. She gave her long-time lover every reason in the book why she was not interested in children but he just kept on being patient, attentive and the perfect gentleman. No pressure; so she excelled at work and worked out regularly with a popular running club.

Very soon, he proposed; she accepted and plans were put in motion. The week before the wedding, he droped the bombshell that when they are married, she had better get pregnant right away because her eggs were very old. She thought he was joking but he was not, so she again went through the break-up routine.

She is now wondering what to do. What do you think? Send us your stories if you are a successful single woman who has no intention of having babies.

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