A couple of weeks ago I was talking with my college roomie (hi Kelly!) who is in that state that I was recently, pregnant with her third child. (Pretty sure she planned hers, though. SHOW-OFF!) She and I also have c-sections in common, so I asked her if she was gonna make it official like moi, and get those ol’ tubes tied while they were in there.
“I don’t know,” she said, “it just seems so final.”
“Then you’re not ready” I said. “Because when I think about having my tubes tied I want to do the dance of joy that I did it! And that’s the way I felt when I was pregnant, too.”
And now, 7 weeks postpartum, that’s still the way I’m feeling. It’s not because I don’t want more kids. (Although I’m VERY happy with the way our family is right now.) If it didn’t cost 9 gazillion dollars to adopt, we might go for another one that way in a couple years. But my body, my BODY, is done having kids. And I’m so glad. I’m just not the best baby machine.
Tuesday morning, after the ice storm caused me to cancel my 6-week postpartum check-up, I discovered my c-section incision had come OPEN a little bit. Um, panic attack much!? I had to wait til Thursday to get into the dr. and get checked out (Fortunately it will close and I will live. But I got antibiotics juuuuust in case.) I am having all kinds of post-partum joint and nerve pain (also had it with Joshua), and while I know it will go away sooner or later, it’s making my life with three kids even more complicated and difficult! (As is shoving three car seats in the back of my sedan. Who wants to send me a mini-van? Toyota? You’re my first choice! Call me.)
But anyhoo. I’m so done. And SO BLESSED with my three amazing babies! The jacked-up body I’m left with is totally worth it but it’s ready for a permanent baby-makin’ vacation!
So let’s all start pressuring Emily to have another kid, k? She pops ’em out like nobody’s business!
i agree with jenny…its your turn, burns!
Oh yeah, I think it’s one of those things where you just KNOW you are done. Like when you hear a friend/ family member is pregnant and your first response is “Thank God it’s not me!” instead of “Aww, I want one now”. I too am incredibly thankful for the family that God gave me, BUT heaven help me, I just CANNOT do it again!
I just had my third and final daughter when I was 43 (3 1/2 years ago). It was very different, not in a bad way, just more tiring. Truth be told if I was younger I would have a herd of kids…lol. My husband was the one who got snipped after Emily. Because of all the torture the doctors put you through as an “older mom” with all the scary possible outcomes and tests that scare the crap out of you and your family, my husband flat out said that if he had to go through the stress of that again he would stroke out. I kind of concur. They put the fear of God in you if you are two minutes over 35 these days. 3 is a good number. A very good number.
Just left a Seance with Mrs. Duggar: she (19 kids), Queen Charlotte (15 kids), and Queen Anne (17 kids)of The United Kingdom said to say you’re a wuss!! And here’s a shamless plug…
http://www.rednecklatte.com/2011/02/mad-about-you/
UP
It took having 5 babies for me to say NO MORE! Now I get asked ALL THE TIME if we are going to have any more, and honestly, it gets kinda irritating! I mean, really, isn’t 5 enough? I have done my fair share…and I am officially retiring from “baby-makin”. Although I will admit that I totally loved being pregnant…..and will miss it…..kinda…. 🙂
Reminds me of what a friend, my senior by 10 years, once said. ” I would not take a million dollars for any one of my three kids, but I would not give a nickle for another one.”
After number 2, I knew there was someone missing. So we had number 3. Best decision ever. But we’re in your camp. We’re done! About one week after my c-section, I had a panic freak out that I had just ruined my future forever and a “how-in-the-world-did-I-just-do-that!?!” moment. I’m happy to say that moment passed quickly. Probably about the time I had to wipe a bottom, nurse a newborn, and tear two kids off each other while trying to eat my lunch. I love my children, all three of them. =)
I would have said exactly the same as you until three days ago when Anika turned 18 months and I realized that baby time is really, truly over. Boo! While I HATE being pregnant with a vicious vengeance, I do love me some sweet fuzzy baby. Tupperware schlepping, bad breath having, attitude making toddlers are just n-o-t the same. (But I still love her.) 😉 . . . Thankfully, I forced my hubby to do the snip right after baby 3, and all my nostalgia cannot change that.