Please, Sir, May I Have One More?: Longing for Another Child when “Oops, I Did it Again” Isn’t an Option

 

075_nichols

I’ve always known—or at least since I knew I wanted to have children—that I wanted to have three. To me, three just seems like the perfect number of kids: neither too few to be considered perfect (perfectly predictable, if you ask me), nor so many that people silently stare at you trying to figure out if you’re Catholic, Mormon, or just good old-fashioned crazy. My husband and I never reached an official agreement on our ideal number of children before we started cranking them out, but since he comes from a long line of families with three or more children, I always considered the matter an open-and-shut case. Recent conversations with my husband, however, have led me to understand that I made a rather grave miscalculation in judgment.

We have been blessed with two wonderful kiddos, the highly coveted girl/boy pair, and my husband is perfectly content to—if not adamant that we should—stop there. On a good day, this difference of opinion is a minor triviality to me, something to be brushed aside and dealt with at a later time. On a bad day, it is devastating, and the looming despair consumes my every waking hour.

There is no doubt in my mind that I have my thunderously ticking biological clock to blame for the pressing urgency I feel to resolve this matter. At almost 38 years old, my window of opportunity is closing faster than Showgirls on opening weekend, and as much as my brain likes to believe that I still have all the hipness and energy of a 21-year-old, my body (and vocabulary—seriously, “hipness”?!?) is constantly reminding me that denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.

And if I’m being honest, the more accustomed I become to life without a newborn—you know, the uninterrupted sleep at night, the absence of having to schedule your life in two-hour increments to accommodate ’round-the-clock feedings (and let’s not forget the devastatingly attractive nursing bras that accompany them), and children who can actually entertain themselves for five-minute intervals at a time—the less appealing diving headfirst back into that season of life, fleeting though it may be, is to me.

Yet remnants of that season of life surround me in my home, and they whisper to me from every corner. When I’m getting dressed in the morning, my hideous maternity clothes (still aspirationally hanging in my closet) cry out that they’d like to see the outside world again. The bottles in the pantry and toys in the bottom of the toy bins tell me that they’re lonely and long for a baby’s hands to hold them. And the baby clothes, neatly folded and labeled in clear storage bins in each child’s closet, beckon to be admired one last time. But my heart cries loudest of all. “I have room!” it shouts. “I can love just one more.” There is no denying it: I have everything I need to begin again. Except my husband’s blessing.

When I survey my friends about my dilemma, I am nothing short of astounded by how many of them have adopted the “better to ask forgiveness than permission” approach to family planning. “Just make it happen,” they advise me with an arched eyebrow. “He’ll get over it… They always do.” All I can think to say in response is that they clearly don’t know my husband. I’m not certain he would ever get over deception at that level, and I don’t think I can endorse it in good conscience either. I mean, we’re not talking about taking the ol’ AmEx on an unscheduled joyride to Target here. We’re talking about adding a human being to the family tree (and planet), and I think that calls for a united front from the beginning.

Maybe if I look at it from the perspective of the lucky women for whom “making it happen” is as easy as initiating a perfectly timed roll in the hay, I can understand where they’re coming from, but for me, it ain’t that simple. For me, it would be a multi-spoked web of deceit involving getting my IUD removed, filling and taking a prescription to help me ovulate, and religiously anointing pee sticks to determine when  ovulation was actually taking place so that I could know when to lure my prey into my trap (so to speak). My children were both carefully planned, and though I know God works miracles every day, I’m assuming my third would have to be just as thought out. So to spring a “guess what, honey?—we’re pregnant!” surprise on my unsuspecting and unwilling husband would definitely go over like a ton of lead pink and blue balloons.

But even as I consider his objections to expanding our family—that we have more than enough *ahem* “spirit” in our house, already spend precious little quality husband and wife time alone, and that I’m overwhelmed and unpleasant enough as it is (definitely hearsay)—I can’t help but feel like our family simply isn’t finished growing. I further counter that a few more months of exile in “Baby Land” is a small and temporary price to pay for the lifetime of joy that will come from completing what I see as a lovely but incomplete family.

As dramatic as it sounds, when I look at pictures of our family with our beautiful two children, I feel like one is missing. When I watch them play together, I love bearing witness to the dynamic that’s developing between them, but I feel like one is missing. They have so much fun together as a pair, and I often find myself wondering how their creativity and jubilance would blossom if we could add a third child to the mix. I come from a large family, and I want my children to experience the joy of having multiple siblings as I did. Sure, in the beginning siblings often mean little more to a child than competition for resources like toys, rides to after-school activities, and parents’ attention, but once they are older, I hope that they would find, as I have, that siblings are the best friends and advocates one could ever hope for.

And so I’m left with questions for which I have no answers other than lots of lots of prayer. How is it possible that I, someone who has waited so long and hoped so desperately for both of my children, could have the same number of children as women who seem (at least outwardly) more or less ambivalent about their brood? What happens if this gnawing feeling of incompleteness never goes away? What happens if my husband’s objection to having a third is permanent and not temporary as I so fervently hope? What happens if he reconsiders his objections and then for whatever reason we are not able to have that third child? How am I supposed to get over the feeling that I lost something I never even had in the first place?

Although I know motherhood isn’t a gig that ends once I stop having babies, it certainly wanes from that point forward, as every moment carries me one further from the start of my journey. I’m not ready to wane. I want to rise, to be full again, to experience the joy, the pain, the sacrifice, and everything else about new motherhood one more time. I want to rock my new baby at all hours of the day and night fully aware that each sleep brings me one step closer to the end of this treasured chapter of my life. I want to breastfeed and know full well at the last feeding that I will never again have the chance to share that sacred moment with another child. I want to look at a picture of my family of three wild and wonderful children and smile with the contented joy of a soul who knows that her work here is done. Yes, I am getting older and can’t always rise as quickly from sitting to standing as I once could, and yes, our sweet little family is demanding and crazy, and some days I admit I want to run away and never look back, but most days I can’t help but feel like I’m just not finished yet. I know I have more to give. I want to experience motherhood one last time.

Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a native Texan and stay at home mom to a 3-year-old human hurricane in pigtails and a 1-year-old son who is currently jockeying for the title of world’s biggest mama’s boy. She has been married to her husband, who lives in perpetual denial of the fact that he is, in fact, a Yankee, for eight long (and wonderful!) years. Together they have renovated a historical home with their own little hands (never again), braved the winters of New York (and decided they’d rather not), and discovered a profound and binding love of travel (travel without the children, that is). They currently reside in Fair Oaks Ranch where they are surrounded by family and deer.

28 COMMENTS

  1. This was just such an inspiring post. I’m pregnant with my second at the moment (2 boys – eek!) and my husband and I claimed ‘done’ early on in this pregnancy due to hyperemesis and other medical issues… but you know what? I’m just not sure. Thanks for sharing and provoking some more thought in a tired mama! 🙂

  2. I want to give you a great big hug! Thank you for writing this! I could have written this almost word for word. My husband is also adamant about being done after 2. We have the perfect son and daughter and yet there is this ache I get when I think about it. Our first was conceived easy… our second… via IUI. Then at the beginning of February, my husband was diagnosed with Leukemia and within 24 hours I went from hoping we’d have an “oopsie” to the thought I might lose my husband and, once chemo started, an “oopsie” was not even an option. My hubby’s prognosis is good and, God bless him, he did bank before he started chemo just for me. He is still convinced we are done and I’m still left with this void… I know I’d be happy if, due to the circumstances, another IUI baby never came to be… but I want to try. I love my children… they are perfect… how can I not want more 🙂

    • Well a big hug right back at ya, Megan. Your story brought tears to my eyes for a lot of reasons – but largely because I think it says so much about your husband’s character that he banked for you. I mean – what a good man! And maybe time will soften his resolve a little. I’m like you – I feel like I love my kids so much I just can’t bear the thought of stopping at 2. There are no guarantees in life as y’all well know, but when you’ve got a good thing, you just want to keep it going. Anyway, I’m going to be praying for you and your family…your story really touched me.

  3. Kinda in a similar boat here…. however my husband is a bit older than me and has 2 teens from a previous marriage. I made sure that he understood that if we were to be married, then babies would be part of the equation. We got pregnant during our first year of marriage and now have a 3 yr old son. His first 2 years I couldn’t even fathom another, just was too busy with day to day life. Now things are settling down, we’re both getting older and I want one more shot at having a girl, have one more pregnancy & new baby that I could maybe enjoy a little without it all being so new? But husband is leaning towards no, due to his age…. already having 2 others, etc. I have an IUD as well, and I think that would be incredibly deceptive to ‘make it happen’ as well (but I sure have thought about it!) I think I’ll be able to wear him down… what’s one more honey? wink wink nudge nudge 😉

    • Well, you gotta fight the good fight, Caree! I agree with you, and my tactics kinda proceed along the same lines lately. I don’t know how old your husband is, but my mom and stepdad got married when my stepdad was 40, and they proceeded to have 6 children after that. They say their kids keep them young, and I really think that’s true. Perhaps a few more gray hairs than they would’ve had ordinarily, but gray hair is a small price to pay for a youthful outlook and approach to life, right?!? I hope your winking and nudging get you exactly where you want to be! 😉

  4. Both of our girls “just happened”. They were both from birth control failure because my hormones are awesome! Since my hubs and I never discussed a number, we never felt incomplete. Never until now. We watch our rapidly growing 18 month old and know that we were not done after her. Since I was 35 when I was pregnant my doctor pushed a tubal. She stated all the reason why it would be a bad idea to have another at my age at every other appt. I signed all the papers and had a tubal with my c-section and threw my uneasy feeling of wrong off on pregnancy related hormones. Now that it’s been a year and a half and I know that it wasn’t hormones. Here I am a grown woman and I let another woman decide that my family was done. I should have talked about my feelings with someone but I didn’t. Even though I am blessed beyond belief with an amazing hubby and insanely amazing girls, I don’t know if the longing for more children will ever pass. I’ve since changed to a different doctor and had an ultrasound to determine that my tubal is not reversible. The doctor cut about 1/2 of my tubes out so they cannot be put back together.

    • I’m so surprised to hear your story, Renee. If my doctor had told me when I had my son (at one month before turning 36) that I should consider myself “done,” I would’ve punched her in the face and chalked it up to pregnancy hormones (which it wouldn’t have been). I can understand why it might be hard to come to terms with a decision made that way, as I think even those of us who make our own decisions in our own time often struggle with coming to a resolution about whatever it is we decided. But you are right – your two children are such gifts. I hope you are able to find joyful peace soon.

  5. i am in the same boat, only Im longing for my fourth. I always wanted 4 and talked about it frequently, I didn’t know my husband was against it until recently. I am mourning the loss of a child that will never be. I feel like my family is still so incomplete, but I feel now that even if he did change his mind that I wouldn’t be able to go forth in good concience as I would feel as if I had guilted him into having a fourth.

    • I can relate to that, Grace. It’s tough. I have visions of my husband truly reveling in our third pregnancy…him snuggling on the couch with me, eager to feel the kicking that he never really felt in the previous 2 pregnancies. Or doting on me with back massages and eagerly going out to fetch my latest pregnancy craving. Of course this wasn’t my reality with the first 2, so I don’t know why I hope it would be that way with the last, but I do. I definitely don’t think that’s how it would go down, though which is something I should probably consider as I evaluate how desperately I want the third and for what reasons. Thanks for sharing.

  6. My husband (now ex) and u have 2 amazing boys, age 9 and 5. He was adamant about having just one, I was adamant against having an only child. We were married 7 years before we had our first, and then another 3 years went by and he said he wanted another. I was so excited. I would never have tricked him into being a father, that seems rather shallow and low, but I knew I wanted at least 2. We divorced after 14 years of marriage. My second husband had a vasectomy many years ago so we can’t have any children and I feel that longing you’re talking about. Some days it’s so strong, other days I barely notice. I would love to have another baby but it doesn’t seem as though it’s in the cards for me and I hope the longing goes away soon. Good luck and I’ll be praying that your husband will come around to the idea of having a third.

    • Thanks so much, Jeanette. It really is a challenging spot to be in, and I hope for you that you are able to find peace in whatever your future holds. Somedays it helps me just to focus on the amazing gifts I have in my two children especially when I know so many people long to have just one. But still, it’s always nice to hear you aren’t the only one going through something like this. Wishing you all the best.

  7. Thank you. I needed this today. We struggled getting pregnant with our first two. We agreed that we would try for #3 for a year and if nothing happened be done. Well it took one try. We are done and while I’m forever thankful for three and have never even thought of four the reality of the baby years coming to a close are difficult.

  8. yes! This is the exact conversation in our house. Boy and girl, youngest is now 2 and we discussed the number 3 before having children at all. I went into my last pregnancy feeling like it would be my ‘middle’ pregnancy and I don’t think I treasured it enough for it to be my last, if that makes sense. Now that my daughter is 2 I have the ache for number 3… The ‘perfect family’ size. I don’t think my husband will change his mind, and like you, I can’t even conceive of ‘tricking’ him into another child (?!?!)… Prayers for peace with things as they are for you, and me. Our kids will be grown and gone in a matter of years, and then it’s us left with our spouses for the rest of life- that is the partnership that matters more in these choices. And the children we have will be better off with parents who are united and loving towards each other. Peace to you!

    • Yes – I pray daily that I will joyfully submit to God’s plan for my life – whatever that may be. And I totally agree that you have to consider your marriage as your top priority…like you said – when it’s all said and done and the kiddos have moved on, it’s your hubby who you’ll be left with in the end! thanks for writing!

  9. I can really relate to this post even though my hubby and I only have 1 kiddo yet, he is adamant the we stop after 2. I cannot imagine being done after just 1 more pregnancy/baby and my first pregnancy was no cake walk – all day “morning” sickness for 12 weeks, threw up daily and ended up losing 10+ lbs during those weeks instead of gaining. But the blessing of our baby girl at the end of 41 weeks was totally worth all of it! I’m praying for twins next so hubby and I can both win – I get the 3 kiddos I so desperately want and he only has to deal with pregnant me twice

    • A win/win for sure, Abby! And it really could happen for you. My mom was trying to round out her 5 kids with a 6th, and what do you know – she was pregnant with twins and got 7! It’s amazing to me how even the well-documented trials and tribulations of childbirth and rearing babies can’t keep us from wanting more. Wishing you all the best in your journey!

  10. i am in tears because although our circumstances are different, the feeling of “I’m not done yet” is the same and, like you, conceiving for us is not easy (we also have two miracles on earth, plus five in heaven) and my window of opportunity is rapidly closing as well. And you for putting my tears today into words.

    • Thanks for reading, Kristi. I think you might also appreciate the post I’ve linked to below. It is beautiful and one of my absolute favorites. It’s somehow comforting to me that there are some of us (many of us, probably) who will experience “the ache” even once we know and are content in our hearts that we are finished having children.
      http://sarahbessey.com/learning-live-ache/

  11. We were in the exact spot several years ago, me desperate for a third, my husband more than content with two. I also was shocked with the number of people who gave me the same advice- just make it happen. And just like you, I just couldn’t do that. I wanted us to be on the same page. It took years of conversation, (and as the years passed, I became more hesitant myself, getting older and further away from the baby phase.) But eventually, my husband agreed. And baby number 3 was born 6 years after baby number 2. Tough transition, yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

  12. I could actually smell the baby smell as I read this. I am incredibly thankful for my 2 kids, and we are definitely done having kids, no going back, but there are many nights I wake up to pee at 2 am and wish I were once again waking up to feed and snuggle a 3 month old while passing out in a rocking chair.

    • It’s funny, right? Those things you kinda dreaded the most when you were in the thick of it are exactly the things you long for once the fog has cleared. Then again, my son woke up at 5 am today which is ridiculously early for us, and it totally kicked my rear all day long so maybe I’m not as resilient as I’d like to think I am!

  13. Aw, Elizabeth! This was so sweet. I can relate totally-I wanted 3 or 4 but my husband was adamant about 2. I have learned to be at peace with my 2 (and actually, now that my youngest is 4, I can’t imagine going back to the baby stage). I hope you find peace too! And I’m glad you’re not resorting to deception (mine were Clomid babies too so I’d have to have been similarly complicated with my deception).

    • Thanks Kristin! I REALLY hope I can find the peace that you have should circumstances mandate. Until then, I plan to keep on hoping circumstances won’t mandate! 😉

Comments are closed.