CJMorgan,Men will never know what it is like to carry a child,if they had to we would all become extinct LOL.

As for your comments about Antiseptic feeling left out,this is a forum after all.Everyone can have opinion,I believe that yes having kids is a hard job,but once you get into a routine it gets easier.

Parenthood is hard on both parents not just the mums,it would of been good if they also did a study on how it effects new dads.Breast fed,bottle fed,to work or not to work it`s all same old same old.

Given the high cost of child care, and the pitiful tax rebate, the cost to a mother before tax can exceed $30 000 for the first child and $50 000 for two.

Combine this with a shortage of child care places, travelling times and any child care support provided at work being treated as a fringe benefit, and the concept of choice goes out the window.

It is often this bitter choice that sees them having to sacrifice their careers to have a family or vica versa.

If company creches were supported instead of being double taxed, then mothers would have the chance to continue their careers and spend more time with their kids.

Just this simple step will hugely improve productivity, family contact, and probably fertility more than the child bonus.

Mummy wars, any sensible bloke stays well clear when women are debating(arguing).

If I recall correctly the chinese symbol for women is two women, doing what two women may do.

Decades ago the debate was about married women/mothers being allowed to continue working, stay at home mums were the norm, fastforward to the present day, now it is about maternity leave and child care, to allow mothers the opportunity to continue working.

FBT laws prevent companies, business from having their own child care centers on site, which would have allowed for cheaper and easier to access child care, instead child care centers have been floated on the stock exchange, with more attention paid to shareholders.

Sometimes people make informed choices, other times as the author points out, make the best possible choice for a given set of circumstances. Other people may disagree with those choices because of their own set of values conflict with the choices made by others.

no privacy, you are being a bit naive. I take it that you are male. Breastpumps are well and good, but only if you have time to use them, the privacy to use them, and facilities with which to wash them and sterilise them after each use (approx 3 times during the day). Difficult to do at work. The time factor is a huge one. It used to take me 3 times as long to pump, then it did to drive to the childcare centre, breastfeed my child, then return to work. I was lucky that my work gave me the flexibility to work 4 days spread over 5, so that I had the time to feed my baby, whilst work also got fair return for what they paid me.

You also say there is 9 months to prepare. Sure, but I havent yet met onw woman whom the actual arrival of a squirming bawling little human hasnt hit like a freight-train. You can "prepare" yourself all you like, but you are still slam-dunked by it when it arrives. Actually most of the women I know have had a hard time seeing past the actual birthing process, with much anxiety and concern about the pain, and whether everything will be ok.

However, I agree with you that it is hard on new fathers too. I dont believe that it is AS hard, but its still difficult

Country Gal,I`m female and a mother.Sorry that you had such a hard time using the breast pump,I on the other hand had no problems feeding my baby this way.

when I said that there are 9 months to prepare I ment
ie Take responsibility for the "choice" that you have made.When we choose to have kids, you soon realize that life will never be the same.All parents sacifice a great deal to make sure there kids get enough love,time,support and the things they need (not wont).

CJ Morgan:"It's called life, isn't it?"

That was my point.

We all make decisions in the knowledge that there will be consequences. Saying that mothers are somehow morally entitled to exemption from having to face those consequences is simply not defensible. Of course there are constraints. Of course there are social pressures. Of course there are emotional impacts. It's complicated, but that's life, isn't it? Deal with it and get on with it.

I should make it clear that I support a paid parental leave provision, but the author's argument doesn't do much for that cause.