6/8     My wife and I are childless. We never had much interest, but if we
        don't have kids soon we never will and so we are talking about it.
        To us the birthing process and pregnancy are disgusting. I realize
        it's the most natural thing in the world, but it's still extremely
        nasty to us both. And I believe in childbeating, which is illegal
        where I live. The more we learn (plus about all the associated
        risks) the more we marvel that anyone is _ever_ born and how
        couples who go through it would want to repeat it. I read about
        women who like to eat the placenta and I almost lost my lunch and
        I am not a squeamish person. I saw a video of a woman giving birth in
        high school health class, but that did not prepare me adequately
        for the reality. We are left wondering why in the hell anyone would do
        this, especially after seeing how ungrateful our nieces and nephews
        are. I am curious how those of you with kids managed to reconcile
        these feelings. Maybe we're better off not being parents, although
        I think we'd make good parents. We could adopt, but raising someone
        else's kids is something I don't think I could do (even though my dad
        did it). I get very frustrated that we have agonized over this so
        much while much of the world just pumps them out without a thought.
        \_ be thankful that you like in Northern Cal. Maybe you should move
           to SF and feel at home.
        \_ we'll thank you for not peeing in the genetic pool
           \_ My genes are already all over the place. I have six nieces and
              nephews. I wish my sisters would have thought about this as
              much as I have, because, frankly. parenthood has not been
              successful for them.
              \_ Those asren't your genes, they are your siblings.  Similar,
                 yes, but not the same.
                 \_ Most of them are the same - enough to matter.
                 \_ Read between the lines.  OP is bragging that his nieces and
                    nephews have his genes ......
                    \_ Oh!  How incestuous!
                       \_ Either that (hot!), or he's screwing his sister-in-
                          law (hot!)
        \_ get over yourself.
           \_ Same to you, buddy.
        \_ for many, children are a consequence of sex.  Effective birth control
           wasnt even really an option until recently.  Even still many forego
           it, for (short-sighted) economic reasons, or even religious ones.
           Oh, and even if you can get past the whole childbirth process,
           children are not for the squeamish.    Poop-filled diapers, and
           more!  Whee!
        \_ You believe in child beating and you think that you would make
           a good parent? Go get yourself sterilized, please.
           \_ Some dim-wit added that. I am dim!
        \_ I have two kids and I love it.  I'm hoping to have a few more.
           They are constantly fun and interesting to me, only occasionally
           are they obnoxious.  But we raise them very carefully.
           We never buy things for them and we don't have TV in our house.
           This goes a long way to keeping them polite and interesting.
           Also, I don't really mind disgusting things, diapers and whatnot.
           I don't know why people get so freaked out about it.
           \_ I am not disgusted by changing diapers. My wife and I are
              disgusted by having another human being living as a parasite
              inside of her like some sort of movie monster. The post-birth
              aspect doesn't seem disgusting, but the pregnancy and birth
              seem like 9 months of hell.
              \_ Somehow, billions of people have managed to get through it,
                 I bet you can too if you really care to. I am also a later
                 parent (had my first child at 40) and I have to say, I
                 could not be happier about it even though I was sleep
                 deprived for the first year.
                 \_ Lots of people manage to get through it with a healthy
                    child and a healthy mother, but some don't.