Why do we have babies???!!!!

What really stumps me is why we want to become mothers. I mean, I have nothing against it. I'm talking of the reason.

I think we're simply conditioned and tricked into it.

Because if we REALLY knew what ACTUALLY goes into rearing children, I don't think many of us would want them.

Through most of our formative years, we are fed these images of "cute" babies, all chubby with pink little fingers and toes saying "goo goo" or "aaa" or something harmless like that, and that too always witha smile. And these are mostly derived from advertisments. So much so that we can't look beyond pink toes.

When we bump into a couple with a crying child when at the movies (during our college days), we're stupid enough to assume they're just having a bad day.

We fail to notice the dark circles and frayed nerves of cousins and siblings when we visit, because we're busy adoring the little angelic beings. It's always a short span of time that we spend with them, so we very often don't know what one day's cycle in the life of a baby is.

We never really get to handle baby pee and poop (unless you're in a large joint family where babies are easy to come by).

Everbody goes over the moon on the joys of motherhood, about giving birth, about the joyful(!!!) labour pains. Women rave about the satisfaction that motherhood brings.

No one discusses logistics of rearing a baby. No one tells you babies can sit at your breast forever, pretending to be feeding. (You'll be asked, almost sadistically, once you've had the baby, by another young mum : "So, feeling like a cow? (Wink Wink and all).Cousins never tell you of breastfeeding pains and bruising. No one ever tells you about episiotomies.

Best friends might let you take a peek into their lives if they've been there done that.

But, by then, it's too late.