Goal: Baby # 3
I want another one of these!
Source: MMcK
I want another baby. It's simple as that.
My husband and I already have two beautiful, wonderful kiddos: a 3yo and a 1yo. I thought I'd be happy with just two, but the baby itch has hit me again recently.
But there's a problem: it's been six months and zip, zero, nada.
When we decided to have our first baby, it happened quite easily. We planned, and we had a baby. It was perfect: he was born in June so I was able to finish almost an entire year of teaching.
Our second baby was a 'sort-of' surprise. We tried for a few months, but then I was injured in a car accident. Low and behold a few months after that, we had a baby on the way! She was due in January but arrived three weeks early in December (of course in the week when my OB/Gyn was on vacation...). When she came, I decided to resign from my teaching job to become a full time SAHM.
Now onto the third. It's been six months that we have been trying. So far, it's been a no go. That's concerning to me, knowing that the other two were conceived quite easily.
Here's my number one concern: my one shot of Depo Provera a year ago has forever messed me up.
After my daughter, my husband and I decided that we would wait a while before trying to have another baby. The Pill was out since I experienced massive migraines with the hormone filled ones and I wasn't consistent with taking it anyway. I wanted to get an IUD, but after considering the cost, I decided to get the Depo Provera shots.
Big mistake.
I had one shot. The side effects were terrible to me: they were all like pregnancy symptoms! Headaches, nausea, dizziness...Why would I want that when I had just had a baby? I discontinued the shots, even though I was supposed to have a second one that May. That June, I didn't get a period. I thought I was pregnant.
Turns out I wasn't, which actually saddened me. I was surprised that I had that reaction. I knew then that I did want another baby, and I wanted one before I turned 30. We officially started trying in October....but nothing.
I'm going to address two things: how Depo Provera messed me up and why I want to have the baby before 30.
Depo Provera prevents pregnancy by basically making the body think that it is already pregnant (hence the pregnancy symptoms...). It prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg at ovulation, thickens cervical mucus to block sperm and makes changes in the uterus to deny any chance of implantation. After the last dose, even after only one shot, a woman may not get pregnant for 12-18 months later (note: not true for all women, but for most who have the shot).
That's all great if you don't want a baby for a long time. I want a baby, um, now.
Here are my stats: I had the shot in February 2011, and only one shot. That's more than 12 months ago. Regular periods returned in October, hence the beginning of 'trying' then. I track ovulation, I know the right days, etc. etc. etc.
After doing some research (thanks Google!) I found that I am not the only one experiencing long term effects from the shot. It takes the body a long time to rebuild progesterone, the hormone responsible for helping your body keep a pregnancy (and other things, of course) and the hormone that is decreased when on Depo Provera.
Sigh. I guess I knew all of this before I got the shot (yes, I did read the literature) but it's killing me now.
To combat the (potential) loss of progesterone, I did some more research to see if there was something I could eat or take to supplement progesterone or support the amount of it in the body. There are some things to eat and supplements to take (I'm going to write an article about it all on HubPages soon, so I'll give more details then).
Okay, now on to the 30 stuff.
I want to have my next baby before I turn 30. Why? For starters, I'd like to keep my kids relatively close in age. My first two are exactly 2.5 years apart. My daughter turns two in December this year, so by the time I turn 30 in March next year she'll be 27 months old.
Next reason: my body is going to start the process of not being able to make babies soon. I know that many women have babies well into their 30s and even 40s (my mom had my youngest brother at 40), but I don't want to risk waiting. I started very early with periods--nine years old!--so I've been losing eggs for a long time. Fewer eggs means fewer chances of babies...
I also want to be a 'young' mom forever. When my potential youngest would be in school, I'd still be in my 30s, able to be in shape and active. When my kids are old enough to have kids, I'll be nearing my 50s, at which time I hope to be in shape and still active for those grandkids.
Am I planning my life too much?
Of course, I'll take whatever God gives me. I'm definitely blessed with what He has given me so far and would be content to accept that I wasn't meant to have a third child.
For those saying "At least you have two kids already", I know, but you don't understand. Wanting to have a baby is still wanting to have a baby, no matter how many a person already has. I love my kids, and I'd love to give them at least one more sibling to grow up with and love.
Also, what about losing 30 lbs? Well, I'd turn that into staying in shape and only gaining the required pregnancy weight and working that off until it's gone.
C'est la vie.
Thanks for reading!
~Marissa
ThePracticalMommy.HubPages.com
MommyKnowsWhatsBest.Blogspot.com
