Want another baby. Am I losing my mind?

[Helena1993]

About a year ago I came here and moaned about how hard the newborn stage and baby stage are. I said I’m one and done. No way I’m having another one. Now she’s 16 months and the cutest m@-&:€!-@@-. She gives hugs and kisses and walks and omg I l o v e her. She makes me smile all day. There are tough times every now and then when she’s ill or just really annoyed.

Am I losing my mind? I miss feeding a newborn baby and all the cuddles. Don’t miss the lack of sleep though.

I think this is just nature! Our brains make us remember the happy newborn snuggles. It’s our bodies telling us to hurry up and get pregnant!

Theres pros and cons both ways and only you and your partner can decide but I think it’s worth remembering that the baby stage is very short in the grand scheme of things so perhaps it’s worth it for your family.

I also feel the same and I have 2 DC (3 and 8 months) and I feel very broody but I don’t think it’ll happen for us

I hated the newborn stage and just about tolerated the baby stage with DS1. I too was also one and done. Then he became a toddler and then a pre schooler and I wanted 20 of those. So we had DC2, who is currently a newborn. It’s still awful, it’s still monotonous, it’s still minute by minute survival…but at least I know there is light at the end of the tunnel this time. But definitely no more. I can’t do this again no matter how many actual children I may want.

If we all based our families on how we felt after our first, nobody would ever have any siblings 😄 after I had my first baby, I said to the Dr 'I am never having any more children!' She laughed and said 'See you in 2 years'. I was pregnant 17 months later. Now I have 3, and when I was in the hospital having the third I thought 'This is the last time I'm ever doing this!!!!' She is 19 months old and I still get broody!

I'm the same. Daughter is 9 months and just the cutest funniest little thing. I had a horrendous birth that left me with injuries and still, the memory has faded enough to want another 😆

The memory fades until you're in labour the next time and suddenly remember the first time and think 'why have I done this again! Idiot!' 😄

All worth it though!

Lol 🤣 @Darkdiamond. It's honestly so strange!! I remember it just being awful and the painful recovery too and a mere 9 months later I'd happily do it again?? What is this fuckery?

It's just biology and I imagine this feeling doesn't go away until your fertile years are over. I absolutely hated the newborn and toddler phase and I still struggle now my daughter is older. I still get broody though. One of my friends has a new baby and I'm so jealous, he's adorable but I know if I had another I'd be even more miserable. I must outthink my ovaries.

babies and toddlers are adorable, but the real question is do you want another grown child? They don’t stay babies or toddlers for long.

I have an only, and I found the early years hard although my child was adorable. the longer I’m parent though, the more I realise it’s not wanting a baby, it’s about wanting a whole other child/teenager/adult in your life if that makes sense.

I am nostalgic for those days but never broody!

My husband has said many times it would be far easier if we could just grow a toddler in a gro-bag like tomatoes. Didn't enjoy pregnancy and hated the baby phase but currently two cycles of IVF in to try and conceive a second as post 18 months I've loved it. Still occasionally think 'what are we doing'!

I remember wanting to die when I was in labour the first time. Like just wishing someone would come into the room and kill me. I had PTSD symptoms afterwards! Lo and behold 17 months later the thought of another squishy little cutie got the better of me. I remember thinking 'how bad can labour be?' when I was pregnant the second time. Fool.

Me too! It was horrific. I screamed in agony for someone to give me an epidural. Definitely worst pain in my life. Next time I wouldn’t go through labor without an epidural

I love older children. Much more than I like babies or toddlers to be honest

It's nature playing tricks on you. Don't fall for it. Second times even harder.

My 2 nd is 16mths, she was easiest baby ever! She is now horrendous as she wants to walk everywhere, do everything herself, my 1st was the same and at 2 he became perfect child....but not sure my daughter will as she's definitely the crazy 2nd child

This happened to me, I had three kids ! 🤣😂 I always remembered the horror of giving birth, once my waters broke….

It's your hormones, they are nasty lying things.

This happened to me and I now have two with a 2 year gap. It is hard but baby #2 is easier in terms of everything not being a massive deal. You know what you’re doing and don’t question yourself so much. It’s more the toddler that’s a shock to the system when you’re trapped with a baby on you and can’t react to everything they do the same

I'm the opposite. Was thinking of another baby during maternity leave etc, but DD is now 2 soon, the best thing ever and she was a super easy baby. Defo don't want another one! Would be happy for DH to go for the snip lol

That’s why I have five and will probably have more. They’re so utterly lovely that my memories of pregnancy/birth are apparently just wiped out after a while.

Lol! This! I hated being pregnant, I was in labour and at one point when alarms were going off left right and centre I thought…it must be me, I must be dying, I really hope I’m dying as I can’t take anymore of this 😂. I told DP that if he wanted another baby then we’d have to adopt…then along came my beautiful newborn and the baby bubble, and I then told DP he could definitely have DC2…hell he could have DC3 if he wanted 🤣

When I put ‘Lol. This.’ In my above I meant to quote this post haha

I was one and done after a hideous Covid birth and lockdown through the newborn phase.

I was never having another.

but that little one is three now and lovely and will be a big brother by spring 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you think the newborn stage is hard, you should try the teenage years. That’s enough to put you on contraception for life 😂

That's Mother nature and hormones raging for you! They trick us so we have more babies 😊😊

I also said one and done. I hate the baby stage. Ds1 turned 14 months and suddenly I could see why people have more. He's 3 now and is still an absolute joy. We started trying again when ds was 15 months, fell pregnant 8 months later. Ds2 is now 7 months old and I still don't like the baby stage but it's easier this time. Ds2 is an easier baby and I know what I'm doing this time (and I know how fast it goes this time too so it's never as bad when going through a difficult phase.) I'm so happy we had ds2 and our family is now complete. Plus watching my boys interact with each other is a new kind of love 😄