I agree wholeheartedly with your central point -- that most people should understand that raising a baby alone is a LOT of work.

But I also wish more people understood that small babies actually can be pretty easy. I used to pop a couple of diapers and wipes into my regular purse and just go. I'd bring a baby sling if I were going to be walking around very much. I seldom needed to pack anything else, and the car seat stayed in the car permanently. Dealing with all that other stuff just makes life harder. Particularly bottles. If you can nurse, babies are amazingly portable.