Males+females have different roles and abilities in parenting, roles can be shared+mixed, according to individual and family needs,
God wisely designed us with flexibility to meet challenges when “ideal” isn’t possible.
(i learned about God’s flexbility in a big way when terminal illness interfered with our ways and our hopes+plans.)
God provides His way. He surely does that. God provides.
Presently, female postpartem depression and related are getting MAJOR airtime.
i dread to think the young may be getting a skewed impression that these sad situations may be “expected”.
That childbirth is 1) painful,
2) a hard burden and punishment that will leave mothers sad, depressed, maybe worse for unlimited time.
We had 2 children; true, childbirth is painful, after the considerable pain, i was sooo happy right away, couldn’t be close enough to the new one, my husband, other family! - couldn’t get out of the hospital fast enough to begin our new lives with the new one!
Even tho hospital stays are now the MINIMUM HOURS possible!!
Still, not fast enough for me. LET’S GO HOME! 
No blues following, nothing like that.
Even with the normal healing process, LACK OF SLEEP, fears+questions new parents experience. Dishes, laundry, meals, housework.
ALL OF IT. Happy. Fulfilled. Excited. Grateful. A precious new life. Hope.
My message to our children, grandchild has been, “You are God’s precious creation, not ours. We have the privilege of caring for you, which means everything to us.” “We are not perfect, God is. Seek God first. We do.”
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When i was young, procreation talk was for adults, children and young people were highly protected from “adult matters” - not burdened with the full weight of them. And expected to have wise answers for adults and adult matters. oof.
So, from young, i very much looked forward to marriage+parenting. i believe most children+young people did the same.
i valued life. i thought that was normal. to value and protect life. Human life, and all life and creation on earth.
God’s created earth. All of it.
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This topic is about the RANGE of feelings, beliefs, experiences parents have.
i expect there is a full range, from my personal “euphoria that didn’t end”, to postpartem blues and worse.
We’re all God’s creation, for God’s purposes. In His vast wisdom. God have mercy.
i chose 1-2-3 and Extra.
