Paths traced by women in society are characterized by continuities and ruptures, especially in the way women are interpreted by society, where, despite women taking new social role each day, the image of the “woman-mother” (the motherhood) is still highly valued. For many of these women, biological motherhood is a unique experience and multiple factors corroborate its realization, however, the choice of having or not a child, or even biological problems (natural or not) may delay or prevent this process. Nowadays, motherhood has become a common fact especially among women who work beyond their homes. On the other hand, this delay may bring this woman closer to menopause, which is a natural and biological factor that marks the end of a woman's reproductive phase. Thus, for a woman who wanted to have a child and failed when she was still fertile, being in menopause can gain meaning and generate different feelings for her than those experienced by those who experienced motherhood or did not desire it. This dissertation aims to investigate the feelings and perceptions of menopausal2 women about not having children. This is an article of qualitative approach and exploratory nature, carried out in the city of Imperatriz, state of Maranhão, and had as participants 9 menopausal women who desired but did not have children. The research was submitted to Plataforma Brasil and was reviewed by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Federal University of Tocantins. We identified that the perceptions around motherhood are still romanticized, because being a mother was appointed as a complement to women and synonymous of responsibility and care. Not being a mother to our participants was a consequence of social (e.g.: not having a partner, working and/or economic conditions) and biological (e.g.: endometriosis, early hysterectomy, altered cervical dimension and partner infertility) aspects. Not being a mother generated a miscellany of feelings, expressed in the form of repentance, grief, suffering, sadness and loneliness for some and of conformity and tranquility for others. Faced with this variety of emotions, most of our participants demonstrated that they found some comfort in God. The desire to adopt a child to live the maternal experience was significant. In contrast, other ways of motherhood (raising nephews and godchildren) also appeared to be sufficient for some women. In each woman we see non-motherhood as a mosaic full of meanings in where each one builds her own story and is uniquely affected. Therefore, the professionals who receive those women need to be sensitive to each one's subjectivity and it is necessary to rethink and revisit the strategies and interventions of taking care of them, especially in the context of health promotion, which should include better the group of menopausal women, in order to empower them beyond motherhood and also to welcome them in their uniqueness.
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