That seems to be the case where I live, too. Or they're really good at pretending, at any rate.
I'd say they're good at pretending. If having babies is so wonderful, then why are women so likely to get PND or even Prenatal depression?
Just seems like a bunch of women kidding themselves that it's the right thing to do or else they are selfish, and then having a breakdown in private because they've been taught to give over their whole selves when they become mothers and don't have a clue who they are anymore.
It's sad that it's become like this. There needs to be more openness and honestly when it comes to the reality of babies and deciding to have children. There also needs to be a lot less judgement, but I guess it's human nature to be that way.
Get my female friends on their own, the ones with babies, and they tell me how much they regret it, and if they could do it all again, they wouldn't have children. Yet they put on a happy face in public and try to appear normal because they're scared of being judged.
I gave them links to find support at mothering forums, but it seems to have made it worse because of the amount of judgemental, polarising nutcases on there.
I think the whole selfish labelling from other women comes from guilt that they could be bad mothers, so they project their own negative feelings onto other women to make themselves feel better.
It makes the whole experience even more unbearable when a women already has problems with depression.
Then we must be a rare breed because every other parent I know IRL keeps insisting their lives revolve around their kids. I am sure that's all fine for them but for me, I'd rather all mine grew up capable of leaving home without feeling guilty for "abandoning" me.
The kind who say that their purpose in life was to have babies and they make internet posts about how their child does this that and the other, right? I'm sure it's great for the parent, or they're doing it for some kind of pathetic boasting to other parents, but to everyone else, their child is not special and the world does not revolve around it.
The worst are the ones who say women don't know true love till they have a baby. So, a woman never truly loved her husband, or loved her parents and siblings?
Then there are cases of women pouring their hearts out on forums about how they're not coping and having second thoughts about being a mother, only to be called monsters or abnormal by other mothers.
And the women who say that they instantly love their babies as soon as they're born and that the father will never compete with that kind of love and bond. Totally insulting to dads and women, may of whom don't feel that instant bond. Sometimes it takes weeks, months, or even years.
Rubbish like that is what gives being a mother a bad name.
At least you don't see your children as being indentured servants for you in old age. Besides, the way things are these days, it's the children returning to their parents to be looked after.