# Would you carry a baby for your wife if you could? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057 "2013-11-29T08:35:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/21 "2013-11-29T20:10:28Z")
I always told my husband that I’d have the first two, and if he wanted more he could have them. I suppose that in this alternate future, he’d have been able to call my bluff. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/22 "2013-11-29T20:29:53Z")
15 or 20 years ago I would probably have volunteered if, and only if, this was a last resort option for having kids. Otherwise, forget it. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/23 "2013-11-29T20:44:07Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > Um, yeah. If there were no physical repercussions for him as there are for me then he’s fucking having that baby, end of.\* Phhsh. Thing is, a few of those physical reminders of pregnancy have to do with being an actual woman giving actual birth. Tricky hips/SI joint pain and others have to do with certain hormones that wouldn’t be required for a male c-section birth. Bladder issues I think similarly have to do with a normal vaginal birth. Stretch marks, ok, but you’d be surprised how many guys have those already. And no, I am not having that baby anyways. If the physical repercussions are too much for you then we ain’t having a baby. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/24 "2013-11-29T20:52:24Z")
> [@astro](#): > > The problem with the hypothetical is if we are at the level of bio-technology that this can be done all the man is providing is a warm sac and a blood supply for the baby. Assuming this level of technology exists there is nothing the man can provide that cannot be provided more safely and efficiently by a dedicated future tech artificial womb of some kind. That’s silly. Besides the obvious emotional connection actually carrying a baby has, I would think putting some incubation bag in a Man would be more quickly feasible with his blood/nutrient supply, body warmth and full attention ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/25 "2013-11-29T21:58:09Z")
I just wish the responses required the responder to state whether or not he has children. Seriously, you wouldn’t go through something your spouse and you decided jointly to do? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/26 "2013-11-29T22:41:52Z")
**Zsofia** , are you asking if “seriously” guys wouldn’t jump on the chance to carry a baby if they were willing to let their wife/GF do it? My informal surveys reveal it’s mostly unfun and so I am going to have to say sorry. God obviously thinks you should do it. My hands are tied. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/27 "2013-11-30T09:51:54Z")
> [@AnaMen](#): > > As a straight female, I’d date only men who were willing to do it. Since he’d have no after effects,and I surely would, he’s the obvious choice to bear our children. And since I wouldn’t have to do it, I’d want a lot of them. Hopefully he will also take over the household chores, as outside employment might be difficult in his near-constant state of pregnancy. So, you’d like to keep your man barefoot and pregnant. 😉 Personally, I’d hate to go through the ordeal of pregnancy, even without the trauma of actual delivery, but if it was for my wife, I’d do it. I imagine it would even help in forming a close bond with the kid. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/28 "2013-12-01T00:21:39Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > **Zsofia** , are you asking if “seriously” guys wouldn’t jump on the chance to carry a baby if they were willing to let their wife/GF do it? My informal surveys reveal it’s mostly unfun and so I am going to have to say sorry. God obviously thinks you should do it. My hands are tied. Hey, I do a lot of unfun things for my husband and this household. That toilet, for example, did not clean itself today. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/29 "2013-12-01T00:27:25Z")
The first time a heart transplantee became pregnant, there was some discussion as to whether she should continue the pregnancy, because she had received the heart of a man and her doctors didn’t know if it could stand up to the stress of pregnancy. She did give birth to her baby, a girl who would now be about 30 years old, and sadly died several months later from unrelated reasons. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/30 "2013-12-01T02:16:02Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Hey, I do a lot of unfun things for my husband and this household. That toilet, for example, did not clean itself today. Tell you what, I will clean the toilets the entire nine months. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/31 "2013-12-01T04:07:06Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > What? You mean no stretch marks, trick hips, leaky bladders, or thinning hair? > > This isn’t a very realistic hypothetical, Drew. If men were the ones carrying babies stretch marks would become battle scars. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/32 "2013-12-02T18:05:06Z")
Of course I would. I’d pump those suckers out. Unselfishly, it’s clearly a total pain in the ass and I’d gladly take it over to spare her. Selfishly, I wouldn’t have to deal with the added drama, the random things showing up in the refrigerator, and I could use it to get out of yard work just like she did. I’d be royally pissed over not being able to sleep on my stomach though, holy crap. I don’t know how she did it. That has to be the worst part. (Is it?) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/33 "2013-12-02T18:39:10Z")
Yes, without hesitation. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/34 "2013-12-02T18:59:36Z")
I’m not really planning on having any kids, but the question is phrased as would/could. In that light, sure I would. If we wanted kids and she didn’t want to do it herself, I’d step in and do it. I’m not really the kind of person to worry about cosmetic issues like scars or stretch marks and many of the problems that would bother me (incontinence, for example) are not guaranteed. To my mind one of the biggest drawbacks is that I kinda think pregnant women are hot, so I’d miss out on that. But on further reflection, I also feel like we have way too many people who insist on having their own kids when there are so many kids in need of adoption. So if we wanted kids and she didn’t want to do it herself, I think I’d be morally obligated to first look at adoption. The sad thing is that having the baby myself might wind up being the cheaper and faster option. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/35 "2013-12-02T19:00:26Z")
Yes, I would have. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/36 "2013-12-02T19:47:40Z")
Oh, yeah. Madame P.'s doctor said she probably wouldn’t survive a second pregnancy, so if I could’ve carried the babies, we’d have had five or six. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/37 "2013-12-02T19:48:17Z")
Since I’m a few months away from 60, I don’t want any more offspring; despite looking and feeling much younger than my age, eventually it’ll catch up with me, and having a kid this late in life really would be unfair to the kid. But if I could have done this 10 years ago? In a heartbeat. I’m in much better physical shape than my wife, and always have been, so if we’d had equal ability to be the one carrying the baby, it would have made far more sense for me to do it than her. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/38 "2013-12-02T23:35:59Z")
In my (limited to one) experience pregnant women can be obnoxious pains in the ass. As such, I’ll carry the damn baby if it will get you to shut the fuck up and stop behaving like a self-entitled lunatic. Why yes, yes, I do have issues. ---
**Author:** ![AnaMen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/39 "2013-12-03T03:45:00Z")
> [@Not\_Carlson](#): > > So, you’d like to keep your man barefoot and pregnant. 😉 Well, I don’t want to emasculate him, so he can do the yard work and auto maintenance too. When I get home from a day of wheeling and dealing, I’ll just want to kick back with few martinis, have a nice steak, and head up to bed probably. Ah, family life! ---
**Author:** ![Samantha\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Samantha\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Samantha_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057/40 "2013-12-04T01:01:10Z")
I wouldn’t want my man to have my baby. I loved being pregnant and I loved nursing. I would let him if he really wanted to, only because it is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and I would love to share that if someone wanted to. FWIW, no matter how feminist I feel, I always thought my purpose in life was to have children. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-carry-a-baby-for-your-wife-if-you-could/675057.md?page=3)