The sense I get is that most people don't really realize that creating life is a very big deal. Some people, like my brother, planned to have a child. Most people just seem to herp derp through it and are shocked when the biggest responsibility of their lives is the result.
My dad put it to my brothers and I fairly succinctly when we were young, "If you have a child, you're taking care of it. You'll get out of high school and work in a factory, I don't fucking care what your dreams and ambitions are." Probably the best thing he taught us.