Alternative Happy Endings? A Qualitative Study of Non-Mothers in Lithuania

Women’s experiences of non-motherhood have not been adequately analysed in Lithuania until recently. Women in Lithuania, as in other Eastern European countries, experience the pressure of pro-natalist society to have children. Their decisions whether and when to have children are often not free, as they are influenced by circumstances and internalized cultural beliefs. In this chapter, I analyse the narratives of 12 reproductive-age women (29-47 years old), interviewed in 2017. The findings show that for most of the interviewees, normative preconceptions continue to prevail and influence them. The qualitative interviews examined in this chapter demonstrate the fact that reproduction remains central to women’s lives in Lithuania. Only a few women felt comfortable with not having children. This reveals that the pressure for motherhood remains strong in Lithuania, and experiences of non-motherhood do not yet hold sufficient weight to represent a valid and alternative pathway towards a happy life.