Is It OK for a Woman to Choose Not to Have Children?

Several publications recently have debated the topic of couples, or more specifically women, who have chosen to remain childless for the course of their lives. The Guardian ran a story Aug. 7 reporting that a study had revealed that for women, the maternal urge drops by 25 percent with every extra 15 points on the IQ scale. That drew some angst as to whether smart women choosing not to have babies would drop the general IQ level of the population. It appeared that the study discounted, however, that maybe it was just that women who chose to go to college and have a career were possibly in the group less likely to have children. 

A story in Time Magazine that ran last week defended women for this choice, claiming they are not “selfish” for choosing to remain childless. Another in the Mirror from the UK also defended the choice, saying women are not “freaks” just because they choose not to have children. It noted that woman are never asked why they choose to have children, just why not when they make the alternative choice. 

What do you think? Is it OK, or even smart, for a woman to choose not to have children and should society stop being so judgmental?