Not now, maybe never: fertility hesitation, spiritual reframing and self-care cultures in urban Romania

Abstract

This study explores fertility hesitation as a cultural syndrome shaped by emerging self-care ideologies and spiritual practices among urban Romanian women. In a context of declining birth rates and shifting life transitions, it examines how yoga functions as more than a physical discipline - offering a framework for navigating existential uncertainty, emotional resilience, and evolving concepts of fulfillment. Drawing on seven semi-structured interviews with female yoga practitioners aged 25-40, the research highlights a move away from traditional reproductive expectations toward individualized well-being narratives. Participants often described motherhood as a source of potential disruption to personal autonomy and emotional balance. Yoga served not only as a coping mechanism, but also as a lens through which participants redefined what it means to live a meaningful life. Rather than treating fertility decline purely as an economic or demographic issue, the study frames it as part of a broader cultural reorientation. Spiritual self-care becomes a symbolic system that prioritizes introspection, autonomy, and holistic well-being - frequently at odds with institutional pronatalist messages. These findings contribute to understanding how demographic behaviors are embedded in deeper shifts in identity, belief, and quality of life in post-communist societies.