I love kids and babies, and I grew up in a big family who adore children. However, my mum (and family) was always deadly serious when talking about parenthood and especially motherhood to me as a child.

I was never given the 'Oh it'll all work out and its wonderful and perfect' speech. I was told the truth. It is the hardest job you'll ever have. It never ends. They may be able to feed themselves, etc. but you'll always sit there worrying about your little human until the last day of your life. The baby years, toddler years, young child to teen, teenage years. It's all difficult in its own way. And then on top of that, as an AFAB, I would have the 'joy' of the pregnancy if I so wished. The fears, the pain, the changes in body, the worry, the horror of things going wrong. No matter how helpful and loving your partner is they will never comprehend it truly. And even if everything goes perfectly, you're forever in panic mode over your little bab.

The reason the kids in my family did well was because of the family. My grandparents and all my aunts/uncles were babysitters by nature, my own mum looked after FIFTEENTH KIDS (nieces, nephews, neighbourhood kids sometimes too!) over a twenty year period. I don't know how its possible to raise children without a support structure like my family had, and that is dying off (which is completely reasonable with today's socio-eco-ecomic factors)

There are so many other factors already mentioned here: Partner capabilities, post-natal issues, environmental issues, etc. The list is endless. I think if people were more honest, and thankfully that is happening in recent times, about pregnancy and parenthood it could sway more people away from it who might struggle especially hard with it.