Mumsnet Talk

I know I am lucky, two lovely kids. So how do I shake this sadness and move on?

AIBU to feel this way?

You aren't completed - you know when you are.

Celebrate!

not really in the spirit of the thread

<runs>

Are you really done?

If you are then I'd start making plans for the future - your future. What do YOU want from the next stage of life? Do you want to work, study, learn a language, learn how to knit, get fit, reconnect with old friends? Whose life do you envy and why? What would give your life real purpose again?

It's daunting rejoining the land of the living after X number of years as a mum. I'm already making plans for when DS2 starts school, so that when it happens it's not so scary. There's a mum at DS1's school who's youngest started school in Sept and she's a mess - floundering around with nothing to do and utterly bored and rudderless. I'm determined NOT to be like that!

I think it's quite common to feel sad OP. For me, it's really been my age which has forced me to accept we are done. If I was younger I might feel differently.

One of the things I considered was if I wanted another child or just another baby. I mourn the baby stage, but don't think I'd want to do the toddler stage again!

I would be inclined to agree with izzy.
Is there a particular reason you are stopping at two? I presume by the fact you are sad, you wish to have more?
I only have one, but knew my family was complete.
If you don't feel it's complete and yet you can't have more, then I don't know how you reconcile that to be honest. Maybe you have to think along more 'shallow' lines for want of a better expression.
More money, freedom etc etc?

Please don't take this the wrong way but I don't think it's fair to ask if somebody is really done. A lot of us are finished having babies through no choice of our own. There are all sorts of reasons why another baby isn't on the cards even though we may want one.

I don't have any advice about moving on though, because I'm very sad about the decision not to have any more children. I need to move on as well but don't know how to go about it. The decision in my case was my dp's, not mine, but apparently it's not fair to get pg without his consent.

I think it's rare not to feel any sadness. Even if you're content that your family is complete, it's still the end of an era and the profound sadness at time passing. One of those times when we're more aware of our mortality. Sorry to get heavy - just a natural feeling. And worth pointing out having another baby won't mean no sadness later.

The reasons are shallow I guess. Not enough space. We live in a nice area but can't afford bigger house in this area. I don't feel it is fair to uproot kids from nice school etc, just so I can have another baby.

I don't work, but now my youngest is about to start school there are some options which will mean more income, more freedom. Another baby will scupper this or certainly delay it.

Then there is health reasons as well.

You see I think that is it PinkDelight. Sadness of time passing, the next stage meaning I am getting older. A baby won't change that.

And I know in my heart the best thing for my existing family is to stop. I do also get excited about the new stage. About the things I can do with dc now they aren't babies or toddlers.

Totally agree with where you're coming from, rubber. I'm focusing on the exciting aspects as much as possible - lost a bit of weight and looking more like 'myself' again, silly things like getting my ears re-pierced when I'd let them heal up (bring on the midlife crisis!), and signing up for courses and stuff to get me into the next phase. It's still deeply sad at times, but when I look at our home movies of me with the babies, I don't envy her lot so much. Not quite enough to want to go through it again. I guess this is why people go nuts for their grandkids!

I too feel a new lease of life recently. Yes I feel a deep nostalgia for certain aspects of babyhood, but I also have more energy now and have found a hobby which may lead to a career. I really feel I would be giving up a lot to go back to babyhood.

Yet I will miss having a pre-schooler at home. I will miss my dd when she goes to school, I really enjoy her at the moment.

OP, I too totally get how you feel. DS is 10 weeks old (we have a DD, nearly 3) and I would have another one in a heartbeat.

DH feels strongly that we should not have more than 2 children for environmental world resource reasons, just replacing ourselves, and we cant afford it or a bigger home, particularly as we have to fork out £10K for fertility treatment if we wanted to try for another.

It makes me feel very sad and each moment with DS a bit loaded as its the last time I will get to do this baby stage.

I suppose life is a series of stages we have to move on from. When I had my eldest I mourned for my carefree pre-baby days, for my figure etc. Now I wouldn't go back.

OP - I'm 52 and getting two dc was a struggle. I couldn't face the thought of another late miscarriage and dh and I didn't want to go for the third at the same time.

I love my life and when dd was 3 or 4 I was ready to move on and went back to work when she was settled in reception. In many ways I'm glad I did and I compare myself to other women of my age who haven't gone back to work and with teenage children flying the nest they seem to have very empty lives - not least the lady whose husband has left her at 49 for 33 year old and who has not worked for 20 years and finds herself facing a pensionless future.

Having said all that though, on reflection, I regret deeply and wholeheartedly not having the courage to go for three. I look back and sometimes it breaks my heart - it might have ended in tears but I so wish I had tried.

In perspective, financially and space wise it would not have been a problem and would not have affected any choices we had to make. But if ds2 could have survived I would be happier in a caravan with 9 children than with my life as it is now.

Im pg with our second, its a bit different as weve never really done normal as dd was brain injured at birth meaning lots of hospital and therapy. Second time around we want to just enjoy having a newborn, being a family.

But there will without a shadow of a doubt be a sadness that we don't have a third. We are sticking at two for various reasons including my age and also because we know we want to travel, have enough £ to send dc's to private school, my career is just taking off after a career shift following redundancy, dh wants to do a second degree.

Maybe talk it through with a friend? A friend of mine wrote herself a letter of all the things she wanted to do when stuck in sleepless nights and nappies and then todler taming. Now hers are a bit more grown up she is working through the list. Which each new thing she does she appreciates her rediscovered freedom.

I didn't feel finished. I had number 3 when Dh really didn't want another baby. Ds3 is gorgeous and we are fine. It may have been a close call though if there had been a problem with either myself or the baby. Difficult call.

See that makes me think I might regret it, not going for another. However it would affect us financially and our choices. Not impossible but we would have to make sacrifices.

Sorry to hear that *redwelly*. Good luck this time round.

Sorry if i've missed it but how does Dp feel about it?

Oh, it's you RG, I hadn't realised when I posted up-thread.

Someone else mentioned a midlife crisis - it sounds like that could be what you're going through. Have you considered it from that point of view?

I understand how you feel OP. We always wanted a big family but my health prevents us having any more. We have 2, a girl and a boy, and I'm starting to be asked if we're going to have any more.

When we first realised that we couldn't have any more children I started a thread asking for advantages of only having 2. I reread it from time to time and although the sadness is still there I'm beginning to feel a little more positive about it.

Here it is:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/1567471-Advantages-of-only-having-2-children

For me - wanting a baby when I had a newborn was hormones - it passes after 3- 4 months,

wanting a baby when the oldest one is going to preschool/school etc is life crisis - what else can I do, I know how to have babies, I've had the practise..

wanting a baby when you have a sleepless 18 month old - that's dedication to having another one.

I'm now at the preschool, thinking about school with our youngest stage, although a baby would be nice in some ways I know that much of it is insecurity about my future and fear that something will happen to one of them, neither good enough reasons to gain more bags under my eyes.

Hope you come to some resolutions soon.