Before I had kids, I thought I wanted five kids. After I had one, I thought, “maybe three”. After I had two, I thought “Remember when I only had one? THAT WAS AWESOME.” Just kidding (sort of), I really thought, “Two’s good.” And then, well, we went away without kids for our 10th anniversary, and…we ended up bringing one back with us. And make no mistake, I am so glad we did. But I am also so glad we are not having any more. I got my tubes tied on the operating table when I had a c-section with baby #3 and I’ve not regretted it for one single second. Our family is complete and it feels great. And so does never having to have ankles the size of a California Redwood ever again. Which I think is a great segue into my 5 reasons I’m glad I’m done having kids.
1) I can’t seem to pop them out the right way, and major abdominal surgery three times in seven years was puh-lenty. Especially that first time when I got a paralyzed bowel and it hurt worse than labor, and that third time when my magic pain ball medicine they gave me after surgery DIDN’T WORK and the nurse didn’t believe me and I just wanted to die for a couple days. Pass.
2) My three wonderful, awesome, amazing kids have stretched me to my limit. Even though the older two are capable of doing lots of self-care, there’s not a minute of the day when I don’t feel needed, pulled on, and tethered to them. And sometimes, I can’t hear “Hey Mom” one more time without losing it. It stands to reason that if I had another kid, I’d hear it one more time plus one more time. I guess what I’m trying to say is, a fourth kid would definitely get the shaft. Because I’m about tapped out. I’ve got really good friends who keep popping out babies with no signs of stopping and frankly it makes me feel rather inferior because I would love to be that maternal angel who just wants to have all the children her loins can produce and love them each perfectly, but I. Am. Not. And then sometimes I feel guilty about having three kids when some people struggle to have one, and I think, well, what is the right way to feel? I don’t know.
3) Playing host to a growing human being for 40 weeks (which, let’s be real, is more like 10 months than 9. Somebody sold us a big ol’ LIE.) is totally miraculous but SO not enjoyable to me. Especially when at about week five, the 24/7 Vomitpalooza gets going. I had morning sickness with my first baby and I had alldayeverydayforthenextsixteenweeks sickness with my other two. And this may surprise you, but after about two weeks, the “Let’s count how many times and in how many different places I threw up today” game gets old. So does running from your desk to the bathroom that’s really far down a long hallway at work while your co-workers take bets on whether you’re going to take it or not. Oh, and…I didn’t like anything else about being pregnant either. Except getting to keep the baby at the end.
4) My heart is in three equal pieces that walk around in three little bodies. I worry about my kids. I don’t let anxiety rule my life, but having and loving a child means taking a huge risk with your heart. I took that risk three times, so I have three times the mom fears. And I won’t lie, having two kids with developmental delays has taken a lot out of me. Having to worry and stress about their development wore me down to a degree…I think it’s a big part of the reason I consider myself tapped out.
5) I like being back to me. I know it sounds selfish, but I nursed my last two babies til they were two. It will be two years next month since I’ve been a nursing mama. I loved nursing my babies but I like the way I feel not having to share my body anymore. I like the fact that my hair no longer falls out faster than it could grow in and that I can wear real bras and drink large quantities of caffeine and take an aspirin without worrying about passing anything along to the kiddos. I like walking around in my own skin and having it be…my own. At this point in my life, it feels completely and totally right.
There you have it…some reasons why I am really happy to be a mom of three and only three. I realize not everyone has this choice, but I think my reasons for not having any more are pretty good…and totally “me”.
i agree with you. I love my dear sweet girls but the natural mothering instinct is just not within me. I don’t know why. I thought my mother is as a wonderful mom. I think I was a good mom but certainly not on the same level as Caillous mom. It just didn’t come easy.
Caillou’s mom deserves a MEDAL!
From a physical standpoint, a big amen to 1, 3 and 5. On my way to my first ultrasound with this last (my third) pregnancy, for some reason I was pondering again if I should get my tubes tied with this c-section. I mean, holy heck I’m 37 and #3 wasn’t even in the plans for a few years, and being pregnant is *the worst* (sing it like Jean Ralphio for all you Parks and Rec people)… but WHAT IF we want JUST ONE MORE? It seemed so final. What if God did a major number on my heart and said the Stevensons need to have that fourth kid?? Well turns out instead God did a major number on my eggs and surprise! it’s twins! And there was my answer. Thanks for the surprise God (really NOT sarcastic, I promise)… and as I work my butt off (again) and retrain myself to stop eating anything I want (again), eventually, maybe I’ll be able to wear my regular clothes again. Someday. One can dream. Hashtag totally worth it.
hashtag I totally love you. hashtag you will get there!
Refreshing honesty with humor. Gotta love it!
As someone who is currently taking copious amounts of medication to feel somewhat human (and not vomit every five minutes), I completely identify with #3 on your list. So does my husband, who never, ever wants to see me pregnant ever again. I think he is tired of cleaning up my puke… or he just hates to see me so sick (and maybe feels guilty that it’s all his fault).
I hear ya!! I have 2 kids almost 5 years apart. I worked full time as a hairstylist until I had my son. Then I decided to stay home. As much as I wanted to be a SAHM, it was a very hard transition for me. So it took me 3 years to even think about having another one. I asked everyone for advice. I was so unsure. Then my daughter came along and then I realized how EASY I had it with one! Oh my gosh! I think 2 kids is really hard. Mabe it’s the age difference, I don’t know. But of course, I love them both very much and can’t imagine my life without them. But 2 is plenty for me.