I hear something ticking. Oh wait, it's my biological clock! Darn, I guess I really have to think about whether to have another baby or not....
On one hand, I would love to have another child. I would love for little S to have a sibling to play, share and grow up with. And if ever something happened to me and hubby, he wouldn't be all alone.
On the other hand, I don't know if I'm ready to have another one. As it is, little S no longer has my undivided attention. If I were to have another child, my attention will be further divided. Also, it might hamper or slow down the growing of my business. And of course it will put more strain on our finances.
But the tick tock is getting harder to ignore. Because, along with the reappearance of my monthly visitor, came an old enemy -- endometriosis. Although it has recurred in a gentler form this time, adenomyosis, it makes more sense not to wait if we want to have another child. Oh, the pressure!
By the way, I am still breastfeeding little S. And I would like to clarify, as some people have suggested otherwise, that breastfeeding will not prevent me from getting pregnant.
Breastfeeding is only considered a form of birth control if all of the following conditions are met:
1. Your baby is less than 6 months old.
2. Your baby is exclusively breastfed -- no formula or solids.
3. Your period has not returned.
So, since I checked none of the above, it is possible for me to get pregnant. The question is, will it be easy?
On one hand, I would love to have another child. I would love for little S to have a sibling to play, share and grow up with. And if ever something happened to me and hubby, he wouldn't be all alone.
On the other hand, I don't know if I'm ready to have another one. As it is, little S no longer has my undivided attention. If I were to have another child, my attention will be further divided. Also, it might hamper or slow down the growing of my business. And of course it will put more strain on our finances.
But the tick tock is getting harder to ignore. Because, along with the reappearance of my monthly visitor, came an old enemy -- endometriosis. Although it has recurred in a gentler form this time, adenomyosis, it makes more sense not to wait if we want to have another child. Oh, the pressure!
By the way, I am still breastfeeding little S. And I would like to clarify, as some people have suggested otherwise, that breastfeeding will not prevent me from getting pregnant.
Breastfeeding is only considered a form of birth control if all of the following conditions are met:
1. Your baby is less than 6 months old.
2. Your baby is exclusively breastfed -- no formula or solids.
3. Your period has not returned.
So, since I checked none of the above, it is possible for me to get pregnant. The question is, will it be easy?
9 comments:
hi,jane...i'm still breastfeeding my 1year old son,but before he turned six months last year,I asked my ob,what contraceptive to use for breastfeeding mom...Since I already have two kids,i have to be more careful...but if you are pregnant,congrats!!!Little S will be happy to have a sibling...God Bless You...:)
Hi purple fairy! Thanks, but no, I am not yet pregnant... wish me luck! :)
Good luck Jane! :)
Yes, my ob actually gives even less leeway and says after 8 weeks breastfeeding can no longer be considered as contraception...
Yes, time is ticking away for me, too. It took us 5 years to have our baby, and now we're thinking we'd better act fast if we don't want to wait that long for the next one (and be forty+!) It is a big decision thought - lots of pros and cons - more pros for us... I think. Will be interesting to see what you decide. :-)
@ChichaJo, thanks. :) Well, according to kellymom, exclusive breastfeeding is 98-99.5% effective as a means of contraception and is actually more effective than condoms, as long as the aforementioned conditions are met.
@paperseed, 5 years is a long time to wait. Go for it! :) Even with my condition, it took me only 2 years to get pregnant. So I consider myself lucky. We'll see if my luck holds out!
I can relate to your anxiety and questions. My 1st daughter was only 2.5 years old when I gave birth to my bunso. Despite advise from both my OB and Pedia to wean daughter1 from breastfeeding, I continued to do so until now. I found that tandem breastfeeding is possible and the way to go. A lot of online resources encouraged me to continue breastfeeding.
I would've wanted to add more to our family but I'll be hitting 38 this year and I have asthma so the health risks for another pregnancy are mounting for me. Not to mention that raising a family is getting more and more costly these days.
I believe adding on to your family at this point in your life would be timely and ideal. A relatively smaller age gap between baby S and his sibling is attractive because they'll be growing up together.
One thing I can tell you though, having undergone 3 pregnancies and deliveries is that it gets easier every time.
Hi Cathee, thanks for sharing! :)
Hi Jane, I guess one important lesson for the eldest kids is that once they have a sibling they need to learn about sharing. I understand how you feel that your attention will not be fully on S anymore if he gets a sibling but that may end up a good thing. I believe that having siblings builds character and social skills. So once our house is done, we're planning on a sibling for little J as well.
Hi Issh, good luck! :) Maybe we'll visit you once your house is done so little S and little J can play together. :)
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