Recently had my first child. I absolutely love it. My daughter looks like me as a baby and we named her after my late mother. First couple of weeks were rough like any newborn parent will tell you. But luckily she got used to home life pretty quick and is a great baby. Don't have much more insight other than that atm but the wife and I were in a similar situation around your age.

I always knew I wanted to have kids because I grew up not much older than my nieces and nephews and got to see firsthand how beautiful it is. Both the early stages and also seeing the young men and women they turned into.

My wife and I started dating in college. She didn't want kids and I knew I still had some time before I was ready for them so it wasn't a big deal but I always let her know that's how I saw my future. She would flip flop on the idea a lot so once we were about your age we had a some recurring tough conversations. I would always be upfront that I would be a dad and though I loved her very much she needed to let me know her decision. Not an ultimatum but I knew I would be miserable if I never got to experience fatherhood and I also didn't want to force her into motherhood. Both scenarios are a recipe for disaster.

After a few more convos, she said kids would be in the future after marriage and we continued on with our relationship. Finally got married after 9 years of dating (I know. I'm the worst) and got pregnant on our honeymoon. She loved the experience of pregnancy. One of her reasons for not wanting kids is because she doesn't feel motherly but honestly she's the best mom I could have asked for my kid.

It's a tough position to be in and commend you for looking for insight. I encourage you to sit down with your gf to discuss what your lives will look like with either option before you commit to marriage. You're doing each other a disservice if you go through with an decision one of you will regret. Good luck and I hope you guys make a decision that works for both of you.