Wellness influencer Laura Henshaw talks about wanting to remain ‘child-free’ amid pressures to become a mother

Laura Henshaw has opened up about the mounting pressures she and other women face when it comes to motherhood.

The wellness influencer, 31, revealed last year that she was uncertain about becoming a mum and even set up a podcast miniseries on the topic to raise awareness to others who feel the same way.

In a submission for Mamamia, the social media star further opened up about her personal experience and shared her concern about how having a baby may impact the successful life she’s living now.

‘I thought when I hit 31 I would feel ready, but over the past few years, the older I have gotten — the less ready I feel,’ she said.

Laura, who is married to husband Dalton Henshaw, added that time and being ready also played a major role in making the decision and that the moment she turned 30 she felt like time was quickly ‘running out’.

Fertility also crossed the influencer’s mind and she speculated whether or not having children is ‘even possible’ for her if she ever made the decision to start a family.

Laura reflected on a KICPOD podcast episode from last year where she said she opened up about the fear of ‘losing herself’ if she became a mum.

‘I am genuinely scared of losing the life that I love, that I have worked so hard to build,’ she said.

‘I felt so isolated, but when I opened up, I have never been inundated with so many messages from women who could relate.

The wellness influencer revealed last year that she was uncertain about becoming a mum and even set up a podcast miniseries on the topic to raise awareness to others who feel the same way. Pictured with husband Dalton

In a submission for Mamamia , the social media star further opened up about her personal experience and shared her concern about how having a baby may impact the successful life she’s living now

‘There’s so much to take into consideration. What if I wait “too” long? I’ll lose momentum in my career. My priorities will shift. I’ll no longer have time for myself or my husband. I started asking myself, do I actually want kids?’

On a recent KICPOD episode, Laura discussed with parenthood clarity mentor Ann Davidman the societal pressures of having children.

‘You meet someone, you get married, you have children. Right? That’s been the status quo for so long that it can be hard to imagine an alternative,’ Laura wrote in the caption.

‘For so many people who don’t feel called to be a parent, that path doesn’t feel right. But if you’ve grown up in a world where everyone you know, and everyone you follow, and every character in every movie and every TV show is getting married and having children, how do you distinguish what you want versus what society wants you to want? And if you do decide to have children…does your whole purpose have to switch to motherhood?’

Laura married husband Dalton in November 2021 and he took her surname. She is the co-founder of wellness brand Keep It Cleaner (KIC) alongside model Steph Claire Smith.