Many people know for years and years that they want to have children. But for each person that knows they want kids, there are others who don't want to be parents at all.
Parenting is hard work, and it's not for everyone. Being able to recognize this can, in some cases, prove how mature you are.
Of course, many people who don't think they want children completely change their minds when they find out they're going to have a little one of their own — and sometimes, they turn out to be the best parents of all.
One man who never wanted kids was shocked when his girlfriend — who didn't know she was pregnant — gave birth to their son inside a toilet at 2:00 in the morning. The baby turned out to be perfectly healthy, but his new parents were completely unprepared for him.
Read the dad's account of what happened below, and prepare to tear up a little!
[H/T: Bored Panda]
The dad, who goes by "SilentScreamsX" on Imgur, shared his story online. He wrote:
6 months ago my girlfriend gave birth. Nobody even knew she was pregnant.
Multiple tests came back negative, and the doctors put her swollen stomach down to the gastritis she was suffering from at the time.
She was on the pill, so we had no reason to second guess it. My son was born headfirst down the toilet at 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning after almost no labor.
I never wanted kids, so to say I had mixed feelings about our surprising new arrival would be overstating my positivity on the matter.
When I left my girlfriend in the hospital the first night, I legitimately considered not coming back. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. My girlfriend knew my thoughts on kids and later confided that she didn't think I'd come back.
My son is named Harry, after Harry Dresden, and to quote the man himself; “There are some things you can’t walk away from. Not if you want to live with yourself afterwards.”
I went back and took responsibility.
Turns out that little Harry is pretty damn awesome. He barely ever cries. He’s the happiest baby I’ve ever encountered and sleeps for 9-10 hours a night and wakes up smiling afterwards.
He's also cute as hell, which is the first time I've ever thought that about a baby. I wake up some mornings in disbelief that I'm actually a dad. Then I look in his crib and he looks back and gives me a big smile and I'm in love all over again.
Thor, my 13 month old Bullmastiff has taken to him too. I was worried that a 140lb dog, especially one that still has his puppy energy levels, wouldn’t be able to exist in the same house as a baby, but Thor is so careful around him and when strangers come round he turns into the best guardian a kid could want.
He plants himself firmly between Harry and the guests, facing our guests. He doesn't growl or threaten in any way. He just lays down and makes it clear that he's the barrier between the two parties. What can I say? I'm proud of both my babies!
Today my mum phoned me, asking me to come round to my parents place after work. I asked why and she said it was a surprise. I figured she’d bought more stuff for Harry.
She never thought she was getting a grandson, and now she has one she spoils the kid at every opportunity.
Anyway, I pulled up and she and my step-dad were stood in the driveway and handed me a set of keys.
Turns out that the elderly lady, who has lived next door for longer than I’ve been alive, has moved into a care home. My mum had been looking after her for years, making shopping trips for her as she became housebound and other little things like that.
Because of this, when they inquired about the house being sold, she gave them a good price and first refusal. I guess my parents decided to get Harry one more gift, because they bought him a home to grow up in!
They’re not wealthy by any means, and buying the house has taken a big chunk of their savings and put their retirement plans back by years. What they’ve done for me and my little family is unbelievably huge.
To top it all off, they're paying for a whole new kitchen and bathroom for the house, as the current ones are as old as the previous owner.
I’m stunned right now and I just wanted to share because I want more people to know how incredible my parents are.
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