Heartbroken at last baby

[Justamum22]

we have three and our last baby just turned one. I cannot stop crying about it and feel genuinely sad, I just cannot get to grips with the fact that this stage of my life is over. We have a great marriage, lovely house, two cars (needed for work), holidays each year, great supportive family. I swore after we tried for our third I would be content and done but I’m even worse this time but my husband just thinks to have a fourth would be absolutely mental. I suppose I’m just looking to see if anyone else has ever been in this position and how you got over it. It’s affecting me every single day and I know for my mental health I need to snap out of it. Does it just click one day and you move on with your healthy happy kids.

In some ways I empathise, as your time as 'mum of little babies' comes to an end sometime, which is weird when it's become a part of your identity!

In other ways, God I was happy to leave those years behind! Leaving the nappies and weaning and baby monitors and nursery..... is DC turning 1 coinciding with nursery or anything like that?

We have kids to experience them in all stages of life so let's embrace how they're growing. A 1yo is still a tiny child - when they're 7 and thundering about the place you might be wishing for this time again.

I can't offer much advice I'm afraid except to engage with how they are becoming their own people, coming out with funny phrases, etc and marvel at it.

Do you have any pets that you can 'baby'? That isn't meant to be flippant!

You have three happy healthy children. Some people can't even have one. Just embrace what you have and move into the next chapter of their childhood

I can relate to what you’re saying although I have 2DC, not 3.
Appreciating what you have is easier said than done when it comes to desire I think.

You need to break the cycle eventually…at some point a baby will be the last baby. Is it sadness over the last baby stage being over rather than desire for another human being (not just a baby)?

From reading loads of third child threads on here, people seem to get over it when they’re out of the baby stage/nappies/sleepless nights and also glad not to have more when they’re teenagers for driving lessons, mobile phone bills, etc. Maybe give it time…not sure if that helps or not!

I hope you find peace with the 3DC you have or your DH changes his mind. Either way, hope you get out of the thinking about it all the time.

I think it does click one day - it did for me, anyway. Almost overnight, I went from feeling broody to thinking hell no, I am so done.

Children are lovely at every stage - mine are nearly grown now - and you get to fully appreciate that if you're not immersed in baby care.