Cameron Diaz's desire for sleep keeps her from motherhood

At 34, Cameron Diaz knows what she likes in life… sleep. The Something About Mary actress, who has been dating pop star Justin Timberlake (from my hometown Memphis, Tenn.) for the past three years, says that she does want children someday, but for now kids aren’t on the agenda.

"I’m not at that place in my life right now – I like my sleep (too much)," Cameron says. "That’s why I don’t want a baby right now."

Last month, while promoting her movie The Holiday in L.A., Cameron told reporters that she is not ready for a family yet. "I think everybody wants at some point to have that responsibility and involvement. But not at the moment." Despite this, People Magazine poses the same baby question to her in their latest issue. Her answer to them? "Family is very important to me in every sense. I definitely hope to have that gift [children] in my life one day."

She must be tired of being asked this question – it seems to come up in every interview she does lately! Before you had kids (or if you haven’t yet/don’t plan on having any), how did you respond when people asked when you were going to get pregnant?

Source: Female First and People, January 8th, 2007.

Thanks to CBB Reader Mary Beth.

Comments

Props to Cameron for being candid, realistic and responsible!!

- Principesa on December 31st, 2006

I got married and started have children pretty young so I was never asked about when I would start having children. But, since I have 4 children now (I’m 28), I get asked by perfect strangers, “You’re done now right?!”. They say it like it would be a horrible thing if I wanted more kids!

- Jen on December 31st, 2006

Whenever anyone asked me when I was going to get pregnant, I’d ask them why they’re asking so much detail about my sex life with my husband and why they cared so much.

If they persisted, and they frequently did, I’d tell them we were definitely trying, but having trouble and not to ask again.

As soon as we had our daughter, people started asking (when she was only six weeks old!!) when we were going to have another baby.

Now that I’m pregnant again, people are asking if we’re going to have a third baby or fourth baby or if we’re going to just “settle” for “just two”. Like having two healthy children is somehow a big failure… please!

This is one of the all-time rudest questions that someone can ask! No wonder Sandra Bullock went off on that interviewer on the red carpet for asking her about when she’s going to get pregnant!

- Christina on December 31st, 2006

My hubby and I have been married for 3 years, and we’ve received this question many times. My obligatory answer is, “Not for a few years.” That usually satisfies the person asking the question.

- Julie on December 31st, 2006

I didn’t want to have kids before 30, so I see what she’s getting at. But, she’s 34 now and if she still wants to wait until she has kids then she’s seriously running out of time. I don’t think she will have any period. If she has that kind of attitude then it doesn’t look good for the future.

- Maximum Big Surprise on December 31st, 2006

My kids slept through the night, but I guess it’s an individual thing.

A lot of women are having children in their 40s so she still has time.

- Snark the News on December 31st, 2006

Maximum….I think that’s a little ridiculous. She’s 34, not 54, and she has a 25 year old partner. They’ve got time. And all she’s really said is “not right now”….for all we know, “in the future” might mean she’s like to try for a baby a year from now.

- Katie on December 31st, 2006

Well, technically, if you’re looking at it from a biological standpoint, she is running out of time. But of course, actors can afford fertility treatments no matter how expensive they are, so in her case it probably doesn’t matter how long she waits.

- Ash on December 31st, 2006

I’m with Cameron! I love my sleep and can’t imagine having it interrupted! I know people say it changes when you have a kid and you just don’t care but quite frankly I don’t believe them lol!! I am a very cranky person when sleep deprived! So I think the day sleep isn’t really a priority is the day I’ll start thinking about kids!

- J.M. on December 31st, 2006

Well I get it that she’s not 22, so she doesn’t have as many childbearing years ahead of her as she would if she were younger saying this….and celebrity or not, if you’re older, you’re older, and fertility treatments wouldn’t open her to having 25 more years to have children. What I was saying was ridiculous was to surmise from this that she won’t have kids, as if she’s already too old. She never said once that she’s planning on waiting 15 years to have them…she could mean a year from now, ya know? I’m not meaning to argue.

- Katie on December 31st, 2006

I love my sleep too, but i could adjust. I had a baby think it over doll for a month as part of an independent project and i was fine with getting up in the middle of the night with it. A little annoied but i could do it. Course i’m only 16 at the moment. Children aren’t in my futrue for at least 10 years.

- Punk_of_a_Tomboy on December 31st, 2006

I have been married for 5 years (I am 27 now) and we don’t plan on having kids just yet, but EVERYONE is asking us! To the point where I am really starting to get annoyed with it. My excuse for the past year and a 1/2 has been I am in grad school. I will be done with school in January so I guess I need to come up with a new excuse! Whatever happened to “We just aren’t ready??” Which is where we are right now!!

- Gabbie13 on December 31st, 2006

She seems so smart. It’s nice to see her thinking it out and realizing that she’s not quite ready yet instead of pulling a Britney.

Another thing about having your children in your 30′s or 40′s is you actually need LESS sleep as you age so if you get 4-5 hours it won’t kill you like it would if you were in your 20′s!

- yogadaisy on December 31st, 2006

My husband and I have 3 children and the youngest is 5. We’ve always said we would have another, but not yet. Family members are constantly asking us when we are going to have that next baby. The funny thing is, we watched some friends’ baby this weekend while they they went out of town and I am definately rethinking the whole 4th baby idea. I forgot how completely exhausting a baby can be. I was up and down all night for 2 nights. He’s teething as well. I can totally understand Cameron’s perspective. Sleep is definately the most missed part of life after a baby.

- melanie on December 31st, 2006

Im (only) 22, been with my husband for 4 years.. but will only be married for 1 on Jan 17th. (Yey, anniversary)

I get asked all the time when were having a baby – because as a child all i wanted from life was to be a mother. Which even now, as a (young) Adult, i want nothing but.

At this point, we *technically* have been trying to get pregnant since i was 20. (Yes, some might thing it *is* a little early, but its all i ever wanted.) But, it still hasnt happened, and i dont know wether to be worried or not. But, hey, im still young.

So, it does hurt when people ask, because of how long its taking. But i do realise that 2 years is nothing (at my age) compared to what other people go through to try and conceive a child.

All people should be more respectful of women/couples (wether a celebrity or not) and not ask these questions because no one really knows whats going on behind closed doors.

- Dorkiee on December 31st, 2006

Everything about this woman just irks me. Especially her recent comment about how what must annoy Justin Timberlake the most about her is that she’s perfect. PLEASE.
I really hope she doesn’t procreate as I can’t see her being a mother.

I don’t really care when people ask me questions about having more kids. I have a 6yo from a previous relationship and I plan on having 2 more kids once I’m married to my fiance. I’m only 28 but I feel my biological clock ticking away. Pregnancy is a lot more difficult on your body as you age. A friend of mine had two kids when she was 20/22 and then another two at 28/30 and she said she noticed a HUGE difference in how it took a toll on her body. Plus the fact that every woman on my mother’s side of the family was diagnosed with cervical cancer between 36-40 years old, I think I’m running out of time. I want to be finished having kids and breastfeeding by the time I hit 36 just in case.

- Lorus on December 31st, 2006

cameron is not 25 anymore and as she gets older, it may well get harder for her to get pregnant. i’m 25 and unmarried, i don’t have kids, but i want them, no question about that.i am a light sleeper too, so sleep thing doesn’t faze me 1 bit.

i don’t think ppl ask to be rude, tho asking frequently may be. i have a friend who’s 26 and her man is 28ish or something and they’ve been married 4yrs in mid january and they don’t have kids.maybe ppl ask her, she’s chilean so family is a big thing to her,but i don’t see her much so i don’t know.

i hope cameron knows what she is doing. being justin’s only 25, maybe he is holding her back? like he’s not ready, but she doesn’t want to express a different opinion from him just in case the press catches on?

- ang on December 31st, 2006

I had my first baby at the age of 26yrs old and I will tell you, it was HARD on me. (the lack of sleep), I know I was completely spoiled with sleeping all night, so the first 8 weeks were rough. I still get the question all the time as to when we’re having baby #2, my daughter is 2yrs old now and I am just not ready.

- Missy on December 31st, 2006

She should seriously consider freezing her eggs. Another year and she’s considered AMA (advanced maternal age).

- dcmom on December 31st, 2006

Ok, I agree that 34 isn’t that oldn (I’m 35 myself), but medically she really is running out of time. There are some complications that could arise if you are pregnant over the age of 35. OB Gyn’s monitor 35+ year old pregnant women much more closely than those under 35. There are risks envolved. Yes, I agree that you can have babies well into your 40′s, but it’s not recommended, especially if it’s your first pregnancy. Plus your fertility diminishes as you get older. Judging by her comments, she doesn’t seem to be ready to have a baby within the next year or so. Of course, they could always adopt, that’s definitely another option.

- Maximum Big Surprise on December 31st, 2006

My husband and I don’t want to start trying for a baby until my credit card debt is paid off ($4200). We have been married for 15 months. This Christmas, everyone was asking…so I politely told them that we were going to try once the credit cards were paid off, and that donations were welcome. That shut them up!

- Dominique on December 31st, 2006

My friends keep asking me when am I going to have a baby?
I simple say leave me and my uterus alone, i’m only 22 years old.

NO offense to those who had baby at my age, I’m just not ready yet.

- PEAVY on December 31st, 2006

I get asked all the time, it started even before my husband and I were married last year. At first I said “I want to do this, this and this before I had kids”. Then I was diagnosed with endometriosis and enjoyed watching my sister squirm when I told her my chances of falling pregnant weren’t as good anymore. Now I’m coping with a bad hip/pelvis, which would make carrying a pregnancy really difficult, so I tell people I have to get my body ready first. I figure if I’m as healthy as I can be when I fall pregnant, that ups the odds of the baby being healthy.
My biological clock has been ticking for years now but I think I’ve always felt there was a difference between that desperate desire to be pregnant and the desire to have actualy have a child.

- Lilybett on December 31st, 2006

I am only 25 and have been married for three and a half years, but people are CONSTANTLY asking when my husband and I are going to have children. When it is my friends, I don’t really mind, but it pisses me off when it is, for instance, the woman coloring my hair or the realtor trying to find a house for us, or any other stranger. I know they mean no harm, but they have no clue how incredibly rude a question it is. What if I were not able to have children?? That would be such a hurtful thing for people to bring up all the time.

- Robin M. on January 1st, 2007

i had my first 2 at 19 and 21 and I am now 37 and have been trying for #3 since I was 29. Of course this is with my 2nd hubby. It was hard not getting sleep when I was younger, I was used to sleeping til noon. BUT, having my first changed me in so many ways. I didn’t really care about me anymore. All I wanted was to take care of my daughter and to be with her. Having a baby young was good for me in some ways, but now that I am older I think I am more prepared and more patient. I think it all depends on the person. Cameron knows what she can and can’t handle. I think, IMHO, she is a primarily selfish person. At least it has always sounded like that to me. She isn’t my favorite actress or person, but I think once she does decide to start a family she would be a good mom. Justin is just 25 yrs old isn’t he?? He probably isn;t ready and she is respecting that. There is probably a whole lot more to her decision than just sleep!!

- tink1217 on January 1st, 2007

For a long time I used the excuse I am doing the CPA exam, I quit and now that we are trying I don’t know what to say. It is so incredibly rude of people to ask, its such a private thing. We have told some people but I don’t want to tell everyone we are trying, the people I don’t want to tell shouldn’t be asking anyways!! (like Coworkers!!) What is wrong with people! Good for Cameron, I can understand that TOTALLY!

- Diana on January 1st, 2007

Bottom line is, its really a personal question for anyone to be asked….we have no idea (and no business to know) what anyone’s timetables are, what medical (or other issues) they might have, etc….for all we know, she’s bluffing and they are trying….or the “not right now” means 5 years from now. No idea. I wouldn’t really say that we can’t tell a timeline from her statements, b/c she really didn’t give one…it could be anywhere from 9 months from now to 5 years from now that they want a kid. She and Justin seem like smart individuals, so I trust whenever they were ready, they’d be ready and would be great parents.

Sadly, it seems like some people are just taking their personal prejudices against this woman about why “she’s not ready”…”she shouldn’t procreate” is a little harsh. We’ve got morons in Hollywood partying/drinking/drugging away precious moments they should be having with their babies, we’ve got nannies raising children for people, babies having babies and thats all celebrated….yet a beautiful, smart, level-headed woman says “We’re not *quite* ready yet” which is honest…shouldn’t be allowed to procreate? We should be so lucky to have more people like her in the world, actually.

- Katie on January 1st, 2007

I am getting married in July and my fiance and I were thinking of having a baby a year after that. My mom told us we should definitely wait longer, we are too immature to have kids yet! How sad, since I am 27 and my fiance is 31. We really can’t wait that much longer! I guess Mom knows I do like my sleep though…

- Stephanie on January 1st, 2007

I say good for her for having enough insight to recognize that she is not ready to make the commitment necessary for having children. I have a sister-in-law who has a two year old and is pregnant with her second child who spends her time either sleeping or on her computer. She essentially lives the same life that she did before she had children. She refused to breastfeed because she did not want to get up at night. Her parents moved in with her for a year and took care of her child, her house, etc. And when they left to go back home her husband stepped in and does everything. We only see them a few days a year because we don’t live close to one another but believe you me it is extremely difficult to watch the dynamic of their family. And their child is the one that suffers. She has a tired overworked father and a mother who has no interest in taking care of her. Sad. Very sad. I’d much rather see people recognize their limitations and not have children than have them and be unwilling to make the sacrifices it takes to be a parent.

- Michelle on January 1st, 2007

Her reason is pretty much my reason…well that and my closet full of shoes.

- Friggin_Boobs on January 1st, 2007

I think it’s extremely rude for people to ask couples when they are going to have a baby. That is one of the most personal questions you can ask a person.

- antij1 on January 1st, 2007

It’s her personal choice when she wants to have children but biologically speaking she is running out of time, If I were to have kids I wouldn’t wait a day after 35 because you never know when your own cutoff point is.
My parents are always teasing me about giving them grandchildren but i’m only 21 and nowhere near getting married let alone having children yet!! I just know they are excited about the prospect but support me and want me to wait until I am married and settle down.

- Mateja on January 3rd, 2007