Among the trials and tribulations of my first brush with pregnancy (the second if you include my mom's ordeal with me) the only real sticky issue came from baby showers.

Nine months of my fiance's daily puking, constant need for back-rubs and room service and more trips to the doctor than I have had myself added some stress to my life. Telling her conservative parents that we were going to have an illegitimate child added some stress to my life. They broke down into angry glares and hysterical sobbing but it turned out OK after a while. Even losing sleep and going back to school for 16 hours a week while working full time created a little more stress than I was used to.

Baby showers nearly drove me insane.

I don't mean the presents and the cheesy games and all that jazz I just mean seeing first hand how people treat others at these 'events' just put me off in so many ways.

For one thing I was treated as a second-class citizen for not being female. I don't mind not being invited but having to show up and then not actually attend the event well that's just insulting. Who came up with that rule? That is not a rhetorical question if you find that person, shoot them please.

Secondly why does the mom-to-be have to open gifts in front of everyone. Wedding presents don't work like that. Neither should shower presents. Oh wait everyone has to ooh and ah about how cute their gift is. Obscenity I say!

Finally, and its hard to really nail this down, I felt so excluded from the proceedings and from the mother of my child during both showers I was not allowed to fully attend. That being said half the jokes I eavesdropped on were about how men never help out like they should.

Now I love my daughter and my future wife more than anything. However when I think about having more kids it isn't the financial burden or time constraints or even the added stress that gives me pause. The prospect of attending another baby shower doesn't excite me at all.

It just makes a vasectomy seem like a really good idea.

Learn more about this author, Seth Keipper.
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