What's the obsession with asking (or pressurizing) others to have babies?

India is obsessed with babies (1.3 billion population totally proves it). You would find random people giving married couple unasked advice to have babies, even if the couple is just 1 month old. From the vegetable vendor to the security guard to distant relatives & judgemental neighbours who have no life of their own, whose adult kids are themselves struggling with parenting their newborns (or their adult kids have moved out due to their frustration with parents pestering about having kids).

But whats the obsession with asking (or pressurizing, manipulating etc) others to have babies? Why are women treated as a baby making machines? What's with the unasked advice to have kids?

If anyone even dares to ask the person back why they need to have a kid (cause you can't talk back to elders, credit to Indian 'sanskaar'), there would be answers, some even comical.

"They will look after you when you will get old". Umm, what's the guarantee they would? Children should stop looking at parents as investors and parents should stop looking at their kids as retirement plan. Have kids only if you truly want to be a parent. Give birth to kids and care for them if you truly want to, not just taking forward the family tree or you look at child as your retirement plan. Majority of us aren't loyals or billionaires to have money to raise kids in this insane inflation anyways. Ofcourse kids should look after parents at old age, but they will do it if they truly respect and love their parents. If they were neglected or abused in any way or not just emotionally close to you, they might not care so much.

"Because babies are cute". What kind of reason is that? Ofcourse they can be cute- silky hairs, soft skull and forehead and big round eyes. But uncle-aunty, their looks will keep changing. And what after the baby turns 3/4 years old? Millennial parents would be like- "Bro, wear this tie (or pencil skirt or whatever the office wear is), take this briefcase and go to office. Your work for Instagram to gain followers and likes is done now. Now you have to earn for yourself". Imagine a child in office wear; ok sorry, no need to, we already have boss baby. 

Image Source- Popsugar

''Baby will bring the couple closer, it will solve all the relationship problems". No, communication and maybe if needed, couple therapy might. Bringing a baby while couple is dealing with their own problems will just make it worse. The baby (even after being into teenage years or more) will have to witness the constant fighting at home, affecting their mental health. And if the couple do decide to get seperated/divorced, it will get more big of a problem to get divorced with a child with all the custody issues. Give poor chap the rest from solving marital problems, it has to garn likes on Instagram anyways.

"If they do not have the baby now, it will get more difficult later to conceive". Yes, its partially true. But now there are more options like IVF which can help couples if needed. And if the individual or couple knows the risk and are ready to take the responsibility of it, then its none of other people's matter.

There are so many other similar answers, some illogical, some comical, and some judgemental. To have a child or not is a individuals' and/or couple's decision. Do they wanna have kid or not, and through what process (natural, IVF, surrogacy, donor baby or adoption) is their choice and no one should interfere. Their choice, their decision, their child and their responsibility. You can just like and comment on the pics of the baby, if they might have any in future and share it on social media.

Kids are a highly personal decision for a individual or couple. Before saying yes to getting married (or at start of serious relationship), couples should have a talk about what they want. If the goals align, great, or else it's best to part ways as this is something where middle ground isn't really possible (when one wants kids and another don't). So stop bothering couples, and women, about having kids for whatever reason and focus in your own life.