SINGAPORE: As more women choose not to undergo childbirth for various reasons, Singaporean men on Reddit were asked if they would consider taking on that responsibility instead.
Interestingly, several men bravely said that they would, saying that it’s their instinct as husbands “to take on the pain for their families.”
One individual said that he wouldn’t mind doing it if it wouldn’t change his anatomy. Another joked that he would do it if he would be given a “16-weeks maternity leave.”
A few also expressed that, even if they wanted to, they couldn’t imagine how this would entirely be possible. One individual commented, “I would be open to doing so; we’d have to discuss. But man, that’s setting aside the physics of it all. I don’t want to imagine how it would be possible for a baby to come out of me.”
However, others adamantly said that they wouldn’t want to give birth. One person argued that it wouldn’t be fair to ask or expect men, who already work to support their children financially, care for them on their days off, and do housework like cleaning and cooking, to also take on the task of giving birth.
Another individual also chimed in and said that it would only become “a fair trade” if women served National Service in place of men too.
A third echoed this sentiment and remarked, “Walao like this NS men do, give birth also men do, bring home money also men do. Women these days really cannot make it…. a few of my married cousins all have stay-at-home wives with MAIDS some more.”
A few men also shared that they wouldn’t want to experience childbirth themselves, mainly because of the significant pain involved.
Although it’s scientifically not possible for men to conceive and give birth, non-binary individuals with both male and female reproductive systems, including transgender men, are capable of doing so. As long as someone has a uterus and ovaries, they are able to become pregnant and bring a child into the world.
In 2008, Thomas Beatie from the United States made history by becoming the first man in the world to carry a pregnancy to term and deliver a healthy baby girl.
This American, who identifies as transgender, was originally born as Tracy Lagondino, a woman. However, after undergoing gender transition surgery, he now identifies as male.
In a similar case, Hayden Cross, a transgender man, became the first man in the United Kingdom to experience pregnancy. He welcomed his daughter Trinity-Leigh in 2017 at the age of 21.
Read also: Singapore woman claims job offer was withdrawn due to her pregnancy
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