To spawn or not to spawn, that is the question

The Guardian has an interesting editorial about the 'baby bust' currently going on in the UK. Essentially, fewer and fewer women are getting pregnant, and this particular writer believes it's because the UK is anti-motherhood.

My reaction has a few levels. Level one: Wow, I'll blend right in on that front there, with the having no great desire (nor even a weak desire) to ever reproduce. Level two: So what? Who cares that fewer women are having children? I'm certain that there's some economic reason behind the concern, but I'm not an economist. Level three: Hmm, interesting.

Personally, my desire to not have children comes from a few things. For one, I don't particularly like children, and for two, I do like the idea of having an uninterrupted career someday in a highly competitive field (politics or law). You could work for the most generous company in the world in terms of child care and maternity leave, but nine months of pregnancy and then actually giving birth is more likely than not to do Significantly Disruptive Things to your career. Plus then there's the hassle of dealing with an infant, such as their constant refusal to operate on an eight-to-five schedule, control their bodily functions, or feed and clothe themselves; these problems aren't likely to disappear for years after their actual birth.

Anyway, from various things I've read on the topic, I'm not quite sure what to think about this. Apparently, it's appropriately feministic to not feel pressured to mate and spawn, thereby sacrificing my own livelihood. On the other hand, as the above-linked article points out, feminism isn't supposed to be about not doing something 'typically' female, such as making babies: it's supposed to be about having options. So, if I try to spread the Gospel of NinjaGeek and say that women with careers shouldn't have kids, it's not being a good little feminist. But the same if I say 'yes! Spawn away! We need more snot-nosed drooling germ factories in the world!' Damned if you do, damned if you don't.