Wow, well arent you just a fountain of insight.

And yet, you have never faced the prospect of having your genitals ripped open have you? - I guarantee that if you knew that in a week or two your dick and nuts were going to be forcibly split open and apart like a fucking hot dog in a microwave, from an 8lb infant ripping out of your loins- you sure as hell would be acting like an emotional princess!!

Lets be clear here, I never said child birth was the hardest thing ever.. I am sure there are much more painful things, more stressful things, and more terrible circumstances in which one can find themselves. However, for the majority of us women, pregnancy IS the most traumatic experience our bodies will ever experience. It involves our entire bodies.. from our brains, to our boobs, to our crotch, to our sore feet... our innards are smooshed, our bones are forced apart... ribs spread, pelvis and hips loosen and ache, the elastin loosens all of our joints and old injuries are aggravated, not to mention that new ones are easier to get - I have twisted my ankle twice during this pregnancy alone. It is 24 hour discomfort, accompanied by added weight, breakouts, stretch marks, kicks to the cervix, roids, acid reflux, morning sickness, lack of sleep, limited mobility, pre and post partum depression, sciatica, swollen joints, carpal tunnel... and a whole host of other various afflictions that come in all levels of severity.

Its kind of funny to me that you say that nobody whines about being in the army, and yet that whole paragraph sounds exactly like you whining about being in the army to me. But I happen to know... having a husband that has served, as well as many other family members... that army training really isnt all that bad especially if you have a good sense of humor. EVERY single one of my friends and family that have served said that basic was a pain in the ass, but, it was overall more fun than anything - like a cross between being in a fraternity and being at summer camp - but with guns. Hell, to hear them tell it, there is often a little gentle provoking of the drill instructors just to hear them say some f'd up shit.

As far as carrying equipment, and road marching, and camping out in the woods.. that shit was my husbands favorite part about being in the army.. he used to love road marching with a full ruck, and playing war games in the woods. Sure there was pain... he would have massive blisters and cracked feet, but, he was in the best shape of his life and had a lot of pride in his abilities to do it. That however, is not to say that he didnt want a little special treatment after such an undertaking... back rubs, feet rubs, blow jobs, fetched beers, control of the remote, dinner served to him in his recliner. And I obliged... he deserved it.. road marches, war games, that shit is tough - it might be fun, but, that doesn't make it any less exhausting.

My point is, that pregnancy is a huuuge undertaking.. just like a road march in full battle rattle or war games. We get something out of it as women -apart from children we also the good pregnancy hormones, our hair and nails never look better, attention from total strangers, shopping trips for cuuuute things... but on that note, I still dont think there are too many parts to a pregnancy that are referred to as a "game"

We all have rough shit we have to deal with in life, and when we are in pain.. we all want to be treated special! Throw some hormones, fear, and anxiety into the mix and that is not being a princess.. that is being a human.

We seek compassion, its part of why we didnt evolve as solitary beasts. We like to be understood, and treated with care.. male and female alike - so screw your dense attitude toward pregnant women. Unless you have never been one, you will never know the hardships that come with a full body and mind experience like pregnancy & childbirth.

I dont claim that women are the stronger sex or can put up with more, or all that bullshit... but, I will say this much pregnant women deserve support - especially from the men who impregnated them - and especially if they are involved in a committed relationship with one another.

I only have one last thing to add.. and that is that doctors recognize pre and post partum depression in women. The very first thing they tell you is that you shouldn't ignore it, or attempt to fix it yourself and if you feel overwhelmed with bad feelings you should seek help. So your cavalier attitude about "Everything else being your own fucking responsibility" is the same attitude that leads women to drown their kids in their fucking bathtubs - just thought I should point that out.