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The Baby Decision

By: Merle Bombardieri MSW LICSW
Narrated by: Kathleen Godwin
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Publisher's summary

“A warmly empathic, wide-ranging manual.” (Kirkus Reviews)

"This valuable unbiased book skillfully shows readers how to stop fretting over the choice and take time to make the right one." (BlueInk starred review and notable book)

Featured in The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Baby or child-free? Which will it be? Is this decision keeping you up at night? Do you feel terrified you will regret your decision? Are you paralyzed by this high-stakes choice?

Now, you can get off the fence and get on with your life. Imagine your relief when you discover the right choice and break free from obsession. Picture yourself enjoying the pleasures of parenthood or the freedom and spontaneity of living child-free.

The Baby Decision is a powerful, unbiased guidebook by a professional coach/psychotherapist who has specialized in the topic for 40 years. With wisdom, depth, and humor, Merle will help you take this overwhelming decision and break it down into a digestible sequence of five steps.

During this discovery process, you will:

  • Dissolve fear and doubt, using 30 visualization exercises and thought experiments to uncover your answer
  • Have deep talks with your partner, even if you disagree
  • Resist pressures from family and friends and fully consider the rewards of the child-free choice
  • Learn the latest on one-child families, single, LGBTQI+, and older parents' fertility and adoption
  • Steal a few benefits from the opposite choice

Merle Bombardieri, MSW, LICSW, is a psychotherapist, coach, and workshop leader. Although she enjoyed raising her daughters, she has been a child-free advocate since 1978. She has contributed to Our Bodies Ourselves, The Boston Globe Magazine, Glamour, Self, and Brides and has appeared on national news, talk show, and documentaries.

Please see her author page for more information and visit her blog for free advice and resources.

Discover your personal answer to the baby question. Click “play” on the Audible sample to preview the book.

©2016 Merle A. Bombardieri (P)2019 Merle A. Bombardieri
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What listeners say about The Baby Decision

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Instrumental in making this decision

This book helped me think through all the aspects of becoming or not becoming a parent. I was having difficulties making progress when thinking about this before reading this book. This book allowed me to confidently make a decision and have reasons in support of why this is the best decision for me. I really liked how the author discussed that regardless of what decision you choose, you will be giving something up and thus will face regrets at some point in your life. I also appreciated that the author immediately addressed concerns that readers may have by saying that having uncertainty about this decision and going back and forth on it is good because it shows you are taking the decision seriously and deeply thinking about what is best for you. I also liked that she discussed why previous generations did not contemplate this question. I’m planning on convincing my husband to read at least a chapter or two from this book so he can think through what is best for him as well. :)

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Amazing! Excellent read, very helpful

I loved this book! Practical, insightful, encouraging in whichever choice you decide to make. Really helped me solidify my choice to be childfree, and to know it’s totally normal and childfree people can also lead very happy fulfilling lives and relationships.

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Finally!

Finally feels like there is someone who can help me make the biggest of all decisions. If you’re on the fence at all about having kids read this book twice.

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insightful guide for most important decision

the author gives the reader a framework how to make decision that will change ones life completely - have or nit have baby

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Helpful

This is a really good book. I'm going to have review parts and redo exercises but it is really helpful to answer that all too important question...

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Extremely helpful

Extremely helpful, unbiased approach that helped me not only make my decision but feel confident about it. Cannot recommend enough if you’re struggling with this decision yourself!

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Waste of time - we just went ahead and had a baby

The political “correctness” is unbearable and honestly the whole book is a waste of time. If you are looking here, you probably know the answer to your question, so trust your instincts.

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