Two friends of mine are both engineers in the PNW with solid incomes and stable long-term jobs. In their early 40s, they finally succumbed to pressure to have kids, even though they have challenging family history and were living an enjoyable active lifestyle filled with travel and outdoor adventures. After their first son was 2, they decided to have one more to avoid having an only child. Both kids have serious emotional issues and have Autism/ADHD. They have spent years taking both kids to specialists, tutors, and special programs to work through their challenges. Their careers have both suffered, so not only are they stressed about having two kids that might get suspended from school every week for numerous rules violations, they worry about losing one or both of their incomes due to the excessive absences and mid-day departures for yet another school-related drama. Their kids fight with each other, sometimes violently, and even trying to go out for a date night once a month or so ends up in an aborted attempt because they get a call from the babysitter that another incident has occurred. They have both confessed to my wife and me that they love their sons but secretly wish they'd never had children.
Coming from a family for 5 children, three of which were borderline psychopaths and severe drug addicts, my parents also suffered immensely. My sister's two children have given her little joy and still have extreme emotional issues into their 30s, and they continually move in and out of their home. One of my closest friends committed suicide because having three children overwhelmed her emotionally fragile psyche, and she had a complete breakdown leading to her choice to end things. Another of my closest friends has two Autistic children, one of whom will never be able to function on her own as an adult and the other, although high-functioning, has been suspended from school for threatening to kill his classmates and parents; he is turning 18 soon, and his parents honestly live in fear that their son could murder them. Yes, I do have friends with wonderful kids, none of the drama the others have experienced, and are very happy to have such well-adjusted families. But it's not even 50/50 - it's more like 75% bad, 25% good outcomes.
So, yeah, do I or my childless cat lady wife regret not playing russian roulette with the kid thing and enjoying our lives without any of the drama so many of our friends and family members have experiences? Not on your life.