I think he's correct. Being pregnant and giving birth is tremendously challenging (and rewarding, to many), but is a drop in the bucket compared to the entire rest of your life being about Not You. Not only do you face the constant lack of sleep, but you now have to worry about financial planning, raising the kid to be a good human, etc.
Having a kid is easy. Raising a kid (well) is hard.
Sorry, but you too are showing breath-taking ignorance and considerable lack of sensitivity and tact, even with the clues staring you in the face.
Let me be just a little more blunt - it's not only the case that for some people having children is not easy, but in addition, it's a big deal that they CAN'T HAVE CHILDREN.
It sounded to me like Colin was talking about something that has affected him or someone he cares about personally. In such cases, a technical or pedantic reply is at best beside the point, and at worst pours salt on a wound.
My sister- and brother-in-law tried for years to have a child. Finally they adopted an infant, only to have her die a couple of months after she was born. A person facing something like that does not care about "impoverishing the English language".
I wrote a long piece in reply, but I certainly don't write as well as Notch, and it's pretty clear it won't make my point as well as it should be made.
I'm going away for a while now. I'll be back, just not sure when. Need some time on my own.
Now I'm angry. You're not the least bit sorry for his personal difficulties (as telegraphed by your telltale use of the word "but"). If you were, you wouldn't respond to them with pointless pedestrian claptrap. All you've done is show your own incapacity for empathy.
Colin, please accept my apology on this guy's behalf.
My wife develops kidney stones when she is pregnant. During the second pregnancy, she had to pass them without pain medicine. There are many other conditions that women can develop when pregnant, but that go away after giving birth.
Pregnancies are anything but easy, even though they last a relatively short amount of time. Raising children is hard, but at least some portion of parenting skills come naturally. I don't think the same can be said for enduring months of intense pain/illness.
We looked after my partner's sister's 2 month old (and her 2 year old) last night. From all the stories people have told me I was actually expecting it to be worse than it was. We still got woken up a few times (a couple of times from him 'gurgling' from his cold - hearing a baby gurgle like that, then stop breathing for 10 seconds, is a bit nerve wracking!), and sure I'm tired today, but I think I could manage this :)
(For months on end, hmm, well, only one way to find out!)
Parental Anecdote: The first three months with a newborn are rather horrid. At age six months, get start to become cute and they begin to interact, so it becomes more rewarding. By the first year, they sleep through the night and they're a lot of fun.
After age two, kids are no longer a liability. They are tremendous asset to a family - they're fun-loving, curious, joyful, and keep you on your toes.
Having a kid is easy. Raising a kid (well) is hard.