Is this what being broody means?!

[Whatishappeningtomd]

I turned 32 in December and all I can think about suddenly is having a baby. I suddenly feel obsessed with baby names and I’ve spent ages on the baby names board today just reading and thinking wistfully about being in that situation?!

I know it’s a pandemic and not a good time etc etc. I’ve been with DP 5 years but we aren’t married yet (we have discussed and agreed it will happen but no firm plans as for when) and I would definitely like to be married first. I’m at a good point in my career but would like to get a bit further before kids as I’m really ambitious and in quite a high pressure role. Financially DP and I would be fine.

I’ve always thought abstractly I suppose that I want children in the future but I’ve always just thought of it as something ‘not right now’.

The thought of losing my freedom and ‘me time’ terrifies me but equally I can’t stop thinking about it? Keep thinking what it would be like if DP and I just stopped using protection. I have always had a fear that I would be unlucky and have fertility issues so I suppose part of it is wanting to ‘know’ if it happens easily.

Is this what being broody is?! I don’t go gaga over babies and I find other people’s children quite tiresome but I just can’t stop thinking about it having our own, even though it terrifies me.

Not sure what the point of this post is really but I wondered if anyone feels the same suddenly!!

i went to the London womens clinic and paid £400 for scans and blood tests. its 650 of you want a partner to be checked too. if you're not in London I think its more like 300. cheap compared to actually having a child

Well, you can give notice and get married quickly and quietly in a register office within a few weeks -- that needn't take any time or planning.

However, before you go any further at all with having a baby, sit down and discuss with complete seriousness with your partner how parenting will work for both of you. How much paternity leave will he take? Can he move to PT or flexible work patterns? Will you? What kind of childcare do you envisage, and can you afford it? Who takes time off work if your child is ill and can't go to a creche or childminder, or is off school? How do you handle school holidays? How will having a child impact on your weekends/hobbies/free time as it currently is?

You don't want to be one of the casualties you frequently encounter on here who suddenly discovered, while on maternity leave that their partner assumed they'd become a SAHM or if they returned to work that they would automatically take the day off when the baby was sick because they had a vagina, or that taking care of children was some kind of 'girl thing' which would magically leave their lie-ins and football weekends away intact.

I'm not suggesting your partner is like that mine isn't but I'm aware that my experience of parenting my DS is different to a lot of the horrors you see on here on the Relationships board because I'm not economically dependent on my DH, and he easily does 50% of the parenting and household gruntwork, and we both work. And that, in part because work is hugely important to me, I have only one child by choice.

Best wishes!

I never, ever wanted children - at all. Was certain I would never have any. Then at 32 - same age as you - I spontaneously began popping out of the office at lunchtime and crossing the street to Mothercare where I'd spend an hour or so stroking the baby clothes and silently crying. Mother Nature is a bitch!

Had DD by the time I was 33, she's 12 now and the highlight of my life, best thing I ever did - bloody hard work though! The broody never came back, never wanted another - thank the gods!

I was 32 when I thought about having kids for the first time, I can honestly say before that I wasnt interested at all. Still not terribly fussed about other people kids all that much but it's completely different when you have your own! We found out that I have really low ovarian reserve and ended up taking 3 years to have our first and many stressful months being referred to and getting treatment through the fertility clinic. It was truly the most stressful, upsetting time of my life and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through it. We had our daughter when I was 35. Amazingly managed to get pregnant again last year at 37 with treatment again (yes I'm well aware we are stupidly lucky and would have definitely tried to adopt if we couldn't have another) but this pregnancy has been fraught with complications and I'm booked for a c section on Wednesday. I wont be having any more as dont want to risk it but ideally I would have had my kids earlier. If you want to wait I would strongly advise you get an AMH level and other egg reserve tests so you at least have an idea of your fertility. Over the age of 30 fertility starts rapidly dropping off and IVF success rates rapidly decreases.good luck

I started watching endless pregnancy announcement videos on YouTube

I conceived on the second cycle at 32 and 35 so you won't necessarily be too old, but you never know. My friend started TTC at 35 and after a year and a half of nothing happening, they're shortly going to start their second round of IVF.

Maybe sit down with your partner and have a discussion to make sure you're both on the same page regarding the timings for marriage and babies. He might be keen to move things along too!

Good luck!