Is this your last baby? « Back to Group Discussions

[firespiritmelody]

Just wondering if anyone else is planning on this being your last baby. Are you doing anything different this time?

[miss_nikki]

We both agree this should be our last. Dh has been saying we were done since baby #2, though. Neither of us is interested in doing anything surgically to our bodies to prevent, so we can say all we want, only time will really tell.

This time I'm fully claiming this pregnancy. I hope to avoid the hospital 100% this time around. No u/s. Doppler only during labor. Only test I've had so far is to check my iron levels. I want to do this the"old fashioned" way, I guess.
 

[1babysmom]

I hope and pray this is not our last, the thought breaks me heart, but my recurrent losses before this one (and the resulting outcomes) made me realize that this could absolutely be our last, even if it's not intentional.  Again, I hope and pray it's not, but I'm trying to treasure everything anyway. 

[IronMam]

This is our last. We almost stopped at DD, but I wanted another and wanted her to have a sibling. I'm just trying to keep in mind that this is the last time I'm doing this, so I need to enjoy it and do the things I don't want to regret not doing.

[cathochick]

I hope to have one more after this. BF says I'm only getting two out of him. I have two from my XH. I REALLY want a girl.

[bmcneal]

I really hope this isn't our last one. DF said he might want one more, some day. Autism runs very strongly in our families (DF is on the spectrum, his brother is on the spectrum, his cousin is on the spectrum, his uncle is on the spectrum, my brother, sister, and dad are on the spectrum, as well as DD and DS) so the chance of us having a child without autism is probably pretty low, but I want a lot of kids, (I joke I want to give the Duggars a run for their money, but not *quite* that many), so I tell him I want to have more until we have a neurotypical child, that way, I'm not the odd man out. :P

[Greenlea]

Not sure. I've been thinking lately its our last. I didn't plan the my 1st three babies so I'm guessing if we do have more I won't know it right now. 

Although, our financial situation really needs to change if we are going to have a 4th after this one. I've always wanted 4, so we'll see.

[Oliver's Mama]

This is definitely my last.  What am I doing differently?  Well, I'm starting to prepare myself for birth early; I did a lot of preparing with my last one and it turned out amazing, and I realize now that having that birth experience is something I always look back on as one of my greatest accomplishments, and it gets me through the rough times postpartum.  So if this is my last pregnancy, I'd like it to end on a good note, I suppose is what I mean. 

Oh, and I also plan to get a new camera so I can take some great pics.. sometimes the youngest gets neglected compared to all the pics and baby books you do for the first one!  And I'm not going to fret as much about baby reaching milestones.. he/she can take all the time it needs to stay my little baby!! (my boys were walking by 8 months.. ugg, they grow too fast!!)

[1babysmom]

Originally Posted by Oliver's Mama I'm not going to fret as much about baby reaching milestones.. he/she can take all the time it needs to stay my little baby!! (my boys were walking by 8 months.. ugg, they grow too fast!!)

YES!  My daughter was walking at 7.5 months (thanks to my IL's thinking it was so fun "teaching" her...), but my 2nd daughter didn't until 8.5 months, and DS didn't until about a year.  It was "fun" having an early milestones girl the first time but man am I glad they have slowed down each time. LOL

[firespiritmelody]

I'm an only child and all of my family lives out of state so I felt quite isolated growing up and always envied my friends with big families. I've had it in my head that 4 was the right number for us for a while and it still feels good. DH and I have started talking about him getting the big V after this one arrives because we're *not* so good at b/c and I don't want to have to worry about it. My oldest is almost 13 and will graduate highschool in the spring and then this baby will start kindy that fall. I know there are several mama's here that have a bigger age gap then that, but that seems substantial for us and I can't imagine having another one down the road - especially with our current age gaps of 4 years between each!

I'm also trying to really embrace each stage and "thing" as it comes. Trying not to rush it, but it already seems like it's going so fast! 

We've also talked about adopting down the road - especially if we're in a better place financially and have an actual house. I've always felt called to do that, but our circumstances aren't favorable for it. Hopefully someday.

[bmcneal]

Originally Posted by 1babysmom 

YES!  My daughter was walking at 7.5 months (thanks to my IL's thinking it was so fun "teaching" her...), but my 2nd daughter didn't until 8.5 months, and DS didn't until about a year.  It was "fun" having an early milestones girl the first time but man am I glad they have slowed down each time. LOL

My daughter didn't walk until 15 months. They were starting to get concerned, so we had scheduled an appointment to check to see if there was anything physically holding her back (she was a month early, and had/has some other developmental delays, so we were not too argumentative). She slept with us, and the morning of the day before her appointment, she woke us up yelling, and we woke up to her walking around our room. It was about the greatest thing ever. 

[brooklyn_warbler]

My husband 100% thinks this is our last, as far as I can tell.  In the throes of morning sickness I did too.  But I would say I'm only about 60% sure now, and 55% of that 60% is because I'm convinced my husband will never agree to another. 
 

[camprunner]

I hope we are done after this. DH wants more but pregnancy is usually very hard on me. Nothing life or death but unusual things happen to me and I'm usually miserable. This one is better but it is our fourth.

[TIFF4NY]

My husband had always wanted three and I wanted two. In the miserable stage of this pregnancy I was pretty clear I wouldn't want to do it again but who knows... Definitely not more than three at least. We are hoping we will find out what we're having tomorrow and that might play a role in what we decide about a future child. 

[camprunner]

Oh and as far as differently? I'm making this one about ME. It sounds selfish but the last ones have really been about everyone else.  We have all the baby stuff we really need so I'm getting the fun ultrasounds and the midwife i want even though she is more expensive for us than the other ones in the area. I'm taking it easy when I want and exercising when i want. I'm determined I'm going to enjoy a pregnancy yet!  This is truly the first one I haven't been completely stressed out by this phase due to work and family obligations.

[Kara9080]

Originally Posted by firespiritmelody 

I'm an only child and all of my family lives out of state so I felt quite isolated growing up and always envied my friends with big families. I've had it in my head that 4 was the right number for us for a while and it still feels good. DH and I have started talking about him getting the big V after this one arrives because we're *not* so good at b/c and I don't want to have to worry about it. My oldest is almost 13 and will graduate highschool in the spring and then this baby will start kindy that fall. I know there are several mama's here that have a bigger age gap then that, but that seems substantial for us and I can't imagine having another one down the road - especially with our current age gaps of 4 years between each!

I hear ya. We figured that when our youngest is a senior in high school, this baby will be in 3rd grade. That was a shocker to us. We wanted to have 2 kids together as a couple but we just got married this last April, I'm 36, he's 37 and with my health issues now, this will be our last baby. I'm very, very happy that I got to pregnant again and I do feel I'll be able to feel complete and heal after this baby. I just needed *one* more :)

[alaskanmomma]

Yup, last baby. Getting Essure after the baby is born.. as much as I want more, I don't think my body can handle another pregnancy.

I really want to get 4d/HD ultrasounds with this baby, I didn't do that with the others... my friend just got it done with her son, and I find them to be absolutely amazing :) It would be awesome to compare their "in womb" pictures to their newborn pics :) 

[TIFF4NY]

Well now that we've found out this is a girl we're on the fence about the possibility of a third in the future. Both of us hope that there is a boy in the family to carry on the family name since DH's father is an only child. It's got to be either us or my BIL and they haven't found out what they are having yet (due in May '13.) We could very well end up with three girls if we try again and that would, for sure, be the last one. 

[spruce]

Pretty sure that this is our last. After our almost-7-year-old was born, DH swore we were done. He was still saying so right up until I showed him all six positive pregnancy tests.

As for what I am doing differently...for once I am worried about my weight gain. Not overly worried, as from experience I know I can gain weighty breathing, but I have never been overweight at the start of a pregnancy before, and I was this time. So I am swimming a lot, riding the staionary bike, lifting a few weights still, etc.

I am absolutely determined to leave this baby very much alone, and it has been a great zen exercise for me. I am such a planner and such an organizer that just letting this pregnancy BE is very positively challenging for me.

I wish I had cool plans like a blessing way or a used-and-loved baby shower or something...but sadly life just keeps on chugging away without any surprise baby fairy dust following us around.

I did fall asleep while doing math with the youngest today...so I guess that is something different!

/16weeks 5 days

[Oliver's Mama]

speaking of weight gain, since this is the last, I want to be extra vigilant about the postpartum recovery period.  I never bothered before to get the baby pooch gone, since I figured I'll be pregnant again someday, so what's the point.  But I've heard that the early postpartum period there is flexibility in the hips and using a hip binder can shrink them up a bit. And some sort of belly band to help suck that back in.  Last time, I just used a spanx-like undergarment, but maybe something firmer like the belly bandit would be better. Any success stories? Plus I need to research safe abdominal exercises... I need to put SOME effort into it, not just hope for a magic garment to fix it!