Please help me come to terms with this..

[BooseysMom]

I've been on mumsnet for years now and often can be seen frequenting the 40+ ttc threads and now more recently the one child families thread.
A second never happened and with the big 50 looming I am going through hell beating myself up after not being able to provide a sibling for DS. We did try for another on and off for 4 years but having DS at 41 meant I felt exhausted and like I couldn't cope with another as well as him. Now I hate myself for not trying harder to conceive. It's too late and I wake up every night fretting and crying. Peri symptoms keep me awake and then this endless worry going around and around in my head.
Can anyone please help me to come to terms with this and reassure me that siblings are not the be all and end all!! ...I'm so depressed and feel so bloody guilty
Thank you xx

@thelightishere... Just found your posts. Thanks so much Your DD sounds lovely. Yes it's really helpful and reassuring to read the posts here, in fact I had to re-read them when AF started yesterday and I was feeling down again. I will read the thread you posted the link for too, thank you.
x

I'm an only child because my parents weren't able to have another one after me.

When I was little I used to ask them for a sibling. By the time I was 12 I was over it. I had my own space and privacy and got to go on much better holidays than I would have done otherwise.

There are upsides to having siblings, and sometimes I think it would be nice to have them. However, I'm more than happy as an Only and have a great relationship with my parents.

Siblings are not the be-all-and-end-all.

@EdgeOfACoin... Thanks for posting your experiences, this really helps we tried sort of to have another but I'm 49 and have to accept things as they are

Just wanted to say I'm also coming to terms with my DS being an only and this thread has been so helpful and comforting

@KitKatBunny.. hi, I'm glad you find this thread helpful. It seems there are alot of us feeling the same. It's def comforting to know we're not alone

I worry endlessly too about my dd being an only, my only consolation is she has bigger cousins who I hope will look out for her.

@lollipoprainbow...Exactly the same as me! DS has 2 big cousins and one who's only 2 but I'm hoping they'll be close later on. I hope he finds a loving partner too. It's an endless worry isn't it?!