Question for mums and mums-to-be..

[Cosmogirl]

Hi all, have a question for you all - how did you know that you were ready to be a parent? And, when you made the decision to ttc, did it feel completely natural and right?

Cosmo x

I didn't really know I was ready to be a parent. In fact, after I had ds I realised I WASN'T ready but it didn't matter, it just catches up with you when you become one.

ok just had baby no 6.. well 6 months ago and I still dont think I am grown up enough to be a mummy!!

Totally. I'd gone from being a party girl to meeting my boyfriend and then getting engaged on holiday very quickly. But it was amazing and I knew it was totally right. Then we decided to be parents and it just all felt perfect. We were, and are, so loved up. When we found out we were pregnant, for a few seconds it was terrifyingly real, then we both started smiling and by the morning, we did another two tests and were absolutely over the moon. We'd hoped we could wait a while to tell people but we'd told them within the hour!!! My DP has been supportive every step and I know he will continue to be. I think a DP who really wants to be a daddy, and a good husband, and a worker, is a lot to do with it feeling right.

In all fairness, we look after my DPs godson a lot and he stays with us quite a bit, so we'd had some practice, but I never thought I'd want to be a mum so much!!!

We had just got married and I have always wanted to have children. I was turning 30 and suffer from type 1 diabetes so thought we should start trying however the minute I found out I was pregnant was scary - it was all real then and I realised how unprepared I was to become a parent.

I don't think anything can really prepare you to be a parent, especially a first time parent.

When I was bored of going to the pub.

i fell pregnant accidently when i was at uni and wasnt ready to be a mum, struggled with the whole thing for a long time but was definitly ready when i had dd2 19 mths ago (planned). i dont think your ever 100 % ready as you dont quite know what its going to be like. when we did ttc with dd2 and this pregnancy though it did feel right, i think thats the difference between having a planned pg and an accidental one. for me anyway

I thought i was ready, was settling down, engaged body clock ticking, broody over friends who were having babies. But now it's happened i'm teriffied!!!!! Don't get me wrong meand my partner are over the moon and really pleased etc but i just keep thinking oh i wished i had sorted this out and that out first, or done this or that.

Now it's happened i don't feel at all ready!!

I have been married for over nine years. It was just never the right time, I had just graduated, we moved country, dh was not in a good place to be a dad (his own childhood)...Then in September 2005 he embarked on his training to become a vicar, which included completing a three year degree at Oxford Uni in two years. We agreed that this was not a good time either, but I suddenly knew I did not want to wait any longer than his final uni exams and I told him that me and my body clock had decided we would chuck in the pill in December 06. We did and I conceived while he was revising for his exams (early May). Poor DH was the butt of many jokes among his study group as he is the study head/perfectionist of the lot and the last thing they imagined him doing during revision was...you guessed it.
Now I am 32 weeks and soooo ready. Nervous, but right. 33, steady job, dh has a parish to go to (we will move when lo is five months), comfy with myself - just right.

We stopped thinking about when the time was 'right' to be parents.. decided to leave it to fate and went with a if it happens it happens approach, if it doesn't so be it.
8mths later I fell pregnant with number one.

I used to work with children, and even now think I am much better in the role of a carer to others than as a mother (the disorganisation I have as a Mum!)

Finally got to where I wanted in my job and then realised it wasnt what I wanted. Love being a mum just wish it was better paid !!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for all the responses ladies. It is just SOO interesting to see how others feel about the parenting thing. I am at the point where I am thinking should I/shouldn't I..?..Been with DH for 8 years nearly, married three next April. I am only 25 but the clock seems to be ticking so loud lately I can hardly think about anything else. Maybe the universe it telling me to stop being a wimp and bite the bullet

No matter how ready you think you are, the shock of the reality is huge. Not in a bad way, but it's absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. Yeah I'm totally exhausted and a bit out of control but if you go with it it's fantastic and when I look at my ds I'm just so much in love with him absolutely nothing on earth could make me regret having him. Good luck with whatever your decision is!

Age 19:walking round Asda hearing a baby cry thinking "some one shut that kid up its getting on my nerves"
Age 25: walking round Asda hearing a baby cry thinking " oh a baby cryign...hm what shll we have for tea??"
Age 30: walking round Asda hearing a baby cry thinking "ah, a baby, it needs a cuddle from its mum".
Age 33: walking round Asda hearing MY baby cry thinking " what else is there in this world but me and my baby"
We/I just knew, we were ready. Together 8 years, married 3 we were ready and Sosososo excited at even the thought of having a baby of our own.