12.
“What made me regret it? Finding out that everything our society tells women about pregnancy, childbirth, and the challenges of raising kids is either an outright lie or totally glossed over so as not to discourage women from having children. I was shocked to find out how many people were also knowingly complicit: Doctors, nurses, older women around me, religious people, and men. ‘Sh, don’t tell them, they might change their mind.’ Every step of the way has been/is difficult or had/has some heavy challenge associated with it. There are no full disclosures to potential parents, even though those same parents’ experience and ability to adapt and cope will directly affect their child. When I reached out to others for advice, the typical response was, ‘Welcome to my world.’ What?! Really? You say you love me but didn’t actually warn me how much damage my body and life would take?”
“‘Oh, that’s normal.’ Really? I’ve never seen that discussed honestly and in-depth in any documentary, informational video, or women’s magazine. At most, there is one tiny story, surrounded by lots of messages about how great it will be. This pisses me off to no end.
So, if I could go back, I would not do it. And this is coming from a mom of a wonderful child, a child whom I have warned: ‘Having a child might ruin your life. Don’t do it!'” —u/AkuLives
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/victoriavouloumanos/mothers-regret-having-children-cope