Biological Clock

[Cheyenne]

Someone asked me an interesting question over the weekend- if I heard my biological clock ticking or not. It made me think about it for a few seconds before I realized the answer was "no." I didn't hear it tick in my early 20's, it got louder as I neared 30, was about the only thing I did hear for a brief time in my early 30's, and has slowly quieted a little more every year since then. Now it is silent at 43.

I'm curious if this matches other experiences of women on the board. I'm not a scientist, and I don't know the theory. But, I think the biological clock is real, that it really is an instinct for us to want to mate and create new life. Controlling that instinct in my early 30's took a conscious decision on my part.

So, how about you?

 

[Flagg]

When the alarm goes, we'll have one more dead republican.

 

[April]

I may have heard it very briefly a few times, but for the most part it's silent. I think it's broken. LOL

 

[LittleRedDevil]

When my nephew was born almost two years ago, I thought I heard it, and then he started to cry and the sledge hammer hit snooze. It has been silent ever since. ahhhh, sweet silence

 

[Beebeeblue]

Lessee...Ill be 30 in Jan. So, Yes..its ticking.

 

[circe!]

Mine is constantly,

THUNDEROUSLY ticking!!!

 

[Carmen]

My clock has been silent thus fare; I think it is because I still feel like a kid.
Anyway I wasn’t planning on having kids until I turned 30, so I still have 7 years to grow up in.

 

[FantasyGoddess]

Mine is ticking right now and I plan on doing something about it very soon.

 

[cymbidia]

A bunch of biological clocks

We live each day bending and swaying to the ticking of our biological clocks, all of them. We cannot do otherwise; life on this planet evolved within the embrace of a roughly 24 hour day and we remain tied to this rhythm in a chemically complex manner.

For instance, the circadian cycle is a rhythm with a 24-hour cycle. It is Latin with circa meaning "about," and di meaning "day" to create "about a day." Heart rate, body temperature and productivity change in accordance to the time of day. The sleep/wake cycle we're all accustomed to is the most obvious circadian rhythm.

Circatrigintan cycles concern the monthly rhythms. The body's monthly rhythms mirror those of the natural world. The most common monthly cycle is menstruation. A woman's menstrual cycle is about the same length as a lunar cycle. In fact, periods are more likely to begin during the week of a full moon.

Circannual cycles are yearly rhythms that are related to the seasons, such as reproduction, births, and deaths. There are certain seasons when humans are more susceptible to life experiences. Human sexual interest and activity show seasonal patterns. Secretion of the male hormone testosterone increases in the fall, sperm concentration and activity is highest in winter, and rates of conception peak in winter too. Deaths have a seasonal pattern as well. Fatal heart attacks are more common in winter. Winter months are a time of lower resistance and of higher cholesterol levels, both of which may contribute to the risk of dying.

However, this thread isn't talking any of *those* kinda biological clocks, right? No. Here we're talking about the primal, instinctual, genetically-driven urge to reproduce.

It's an interesting topic. From a biological perspective, a woman's procreative "biological clock" can be defined as a her individual physical and emotional response to an internal cyclical clock, which begins with her first menstrual period and winds down after menopause.

It's not just women in their 30's who are acutely aware of their biological clock, either. At 18 years old, some women have a tremendous desire to have a baby, some don't feel it until into thier 40's, and some never feel it. There's no real age limit on the ticking of one's biological clock and some women are affected by it far far more strongly than others. On the most basic, animal level, the female of every species is driven to procreate in order to insure the survival of the species. In humans, we feel this need intensely, or we don't feel it at all. There seems to be no real middle ground.

Interestingly, there was a study published last fall sometime that proved the existence of a male biological clock similar to our own well-known ticker. Additionally, it was found that once a man passes the age of 24, the older he is, the longer it takes for him to make his partner pregnant, regardless of her age.

Fascinating subject. Emotional and scientific; just right for me.


[Edited by cymbidia on 04-30-2001 at 12:15 PM]

 

[Pyper]

A little bit after I turned 18, I suddenly had the great urge to have a baby. A year later, it's died down a bit, but I still want one!

 

[Mistress]

My has been ticking for two years....and at 22...bad eh?

 

[CelestialBody]

She said it.

 

[Todd]

Re: She said it.

A little bit after I turned 18, I suddenly had the great urge to have a baby. A year later, it's died down a bit, but I still want one!

Well ladies if you want a little bit of help putting a 9 month snooze button on that clock you know where I am

 

[Hecate]

No ticking here !

Never did tick and I pray to all gods it won't get funny ideas now.

I very very clearly know that kids are not for me - I love them, my nice and nephew are the sweetest joys imaginable ... for about 45 minutes , then they are bearable for another 45 and then ....

My clock better not even think about ticking *shudder*!!!

 

[nitengale]

urges

Every now and then I'd get that "urge, want, desire" to add another little being to the brood I have, but I'd get up off my chair, walk to the nursery, and stand in the doorway listening to them all screaming. I'd make a quick turn about, head back to my unit, and quietly reflect on WHY two are good, and three would be a nightmare.

 

[LittleRedDevil]

tick, tick, tick...Yeah right!

 

[Xander]

I've found myself lately, looking at small babies, and other peoples children.

And I wonder, will I ever get one myself??

And I feel the urge of parenthood. For better or for worse.

Do guys even have biological clocks??

ah well....

 

[LittleRedDevil]

I've found myself lately, looking at small babies, and other peoples children.

And I wonder, will I ever get one myself??

And I feel the urge of parenthood. For better or for worse.

Do guys even have biological clocks??

ah well....

It seems as though they do.

 

[cymbidia]

Do guys even have biological clocks??

I know it's a lot of dreary reading, and i sympathize with your decision to skip over it, but the answer to your question is up there in my post. (Hint: it's near the end.)

 

[Ask For More]

I can hear mine....oh no wait a sec....I don't have one!

 

[Xander]

Do guys even have biological clocks??

I know it's a lot of dreary reading, and i sympathize with your decision to skip over it, but the answer to your question is up there in my post. (Hint: it's near the end.)

Sorry C. ( and sorry WS for using the phrase again) My bad.
I'm currently running back and forth between the puter and a can of paint, so I didn't read it all. Again, my bad.

 

[Silverlily]

It's been ticking for the last five years. Fortunately, it's not very loud and at the moment is being drowned out by a push for a promotion.

To be honest though, mine are seven and nine and relatively self-sufficent. I can't quite picture the whole diaperbag routine again. But, if I do get this promotion, can anyone say live-in nanny?

I wonder if they make diaperbags that hold laptops...

 

[Merelan]

Listening hard. Listening.... listening... listening....
All I hear is my childhood of 7 brothers and sisters and 4 permanent foster kids and a variety of neighbors and part time kids.
Still listening... listening...
all I hear now is 17 nieces and nephews, 3 grand nephews... and 4 god children.
Nope. No damn clock ticking anywhere near me. If it does, I am shooting it!

 

[SweetCherry]

Mine started ticking when I was about 21. I had 2 kids by the time I was 25 and thought I was done. I now have the uncontrolible urge to have another one. Only thing I need now it to wait for someone to come on over and make me a Mama again since my oldest starts school this fall!

 

[Siren]

RINGGGGGGGGGGGG !!!