A recent article in The Cut is causing quite a stir online. 

Entitled, Stories From Real Women Who Regret Having Children, the article features three women who regret their choice to have babies. This is part of a series of articles by the secular site all focusing in on babies and motherhood. 

"Sooner or later, everyone has to decide whether to give up lazy weekends, disposable income, and overall peace of mind to have a baby instead."

And the article claims that "parent regret is more common than you might think."

As Catholics, we can take some relief in the fact that the author was only able to find three voices for this very depressing piece, but a quick internet search shows how common this lament is, apparently. 

A Facebook group, succinctly named I Regret Having Children, has 96,000 followers. The 'About' section is quick to point out the 'anonymous' option, since even the organizers of the social media page understand how culturally unacceptable it is to speak this way, not to mention how easily a child might read these ghastly comments about their own being, from their own mother. 

Sentiments like this: "I absolutely love my son. ... I'll give my life for him, but I hate being a mother." 

How can a woman love her child and 'hate' being a mother? It seems like a terrible social ill of our day that we can talk this way about the unique bond between mother and child. And combing through the post and comments, a more glaringly obvious selfish truth unfolds: It's really the loss of self that is being mourned. That is why parenting is where humility is often borne. 

The article has truly backfired, especially on the social media side, with countless women and men singing the joyful praises of parenting, including the Register's own Emily Zanotti who said: 

"Motherhood — physical, spiritual, or otherwise — is just a good and natural thing. It’s not always fun, or fulfilling, or even interesting. But it doesn’t need to be those things *all the time* to be the best thing you will do in your life."

Catholic author and writer Alexandra DeSanctis pointed to the absurdity of the piece writing, "Imagine thinking that sleeping in and buying more stuff you don’t need is the best life has to offer."

Ashley McGuire of The Catholic Association was quick to realize that the piece is actually exploiting women, three of whom are most likely suffering from postpartum depression, writing in the Institute for Family Studies:

"Their stories belong anonymously in medical textbooks for case studies on postpartum anxiety and depression, not in the permanent archive of the internet for their children and grandchildren to read. Imagine being a child and reading that your parent once said this about your existence:

I was able to say to my husband, ‘Our life probably would have been better if we didn’t have kids.’ And he was like, ‘You know what? You might be right.’…I love our children and would never want them to think, Mom and Dad would be happier if I wasn’t here. I’m giving them the best life I can. But thinking about life without them, I’d be happier overall."

Another mother rejoiced in her role: 

"I can't stand lazy weekends. Being a mom is the best joy life has. Bringing her on our crazy adventures... didnt even know this joy and pride existed. Being a mommy is absolutely the best thing ever!!"

The group, Secular Pro-Life on X, flagged a Gallup poll that also shreds the article's claims to pieces when we consider the huge demographic of women who regret NOT having children: 

The replies also offer some endearing moments that all mothers and fathers live for, when your young child melts your heart in the most meaningful way, as Brittany Hughes of the Media Research Council shared: 

"The other day my four-year-old daughter put her little hand on my face and told me I was her best friend. All the money and leisure time in the world wouldn’t come close to that."

And lastly, one mother pointed to a beautiful quote by the late great Pope Benedict XVI: “You were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” 

Yes, why in the world would we settle for anything less than what God has granted to us as children of God, and the blessing of bringing more beautiful babies into this world?

As we consider how vulnerable life is in the womb, even with the fall of Roe, may we all be moved to recount how miraculous the gift of motherhood is, and delight in the vocation just as the Blessed Mother did with Jesus. 

We also pray for conversion and help for any mom struggling with these dark feelings. 

And also keep in mind those women and men carrying the cross of infertility. I prayed for seven years for my dear little one, and I am forever grateful for the gift to be hers. 

And as my daughter has been singing since she was four: "Mommies love their babies. ... Babies love their mommies ..."