So, my husband and I were talking about our family and children (NOT planning a pregnancy for a while, as Leo is only 6 mos and I'm not fertile now ) and I said that if we didn't have another baby I would really mourn not being pregnant and giving birth again. I am not a mama that loves to be pregnant. But, I do cherish the experience and love that special time and anticipation. I do actually LOVE the birth. I think anywhere else there'd be an eye roll now, but y'all understand, right? So, do you ever not mourn not being pregnant/giving birth again? Like, it makes me so sad that the thought of not doing it again (and i will be) makes me tear up.

Yes...and I'm not even there yet.

I'm currently pregnant with #3 and the plan as of right now (although I know we haven't actually HAD #3 yet), but we want a #4, possibly a #5. So, while I still have at least a pregnant and a half again and 2 deliveries, the thought of making that decision that we're done and then not ever doing it again and rather overwhelming!

I told my husband when I was about 8 weeks pregnant that if there is even the smallest chance that this will be the last, he needed to tell me then! Because it's going to be a whole new ball game of preparation for me emotionally!

You know, I thought I would mourn it. But, I got so involved with my son and his life that MY life really took on a new passion and love. I really started to get more into parenting and I never had any thoughts about being pregnant and birthing. Now that I am preggo with #2 and I am having a home birth, I am extremely ecstatic about birthing again, but I think it will shift once #2 is born back into a passion for parenting :)

YES!!! I am totally there right now!! I call it birth fever or baby bump fever. I am thrilled with the two kids I have, and I am totally maxed out as far as patients, time, and energy go so not really wanting another baby right now but I do morn the fact that I am not looking forward to a pregnancy or birth in the near future. My husband has made a few comments in the past few months that we may be through, I am NOT there. I feel like there are more children out there for us to give birth to and love. It breaks my heart to think we are done. Two is plenty in so many ways and yet I do feel a void, not that there is something missing, more like bringing more children into our lives would make it that much more fulfilling.

Anyway, I totally get what you are saying. I get belly envy with all the big baby bumps around!! I was not this wonderful and happy preggo either, but I certainly do miss it!

I think it has to do with our psyche, we are designed to be mothers, to bear children, our bodies to mold and change form with each expecting life growing inside. When that is on hold or past I think we do mourn.

Amanda I think we are doomed. My mother and grandmother both told me they still sometimes feel a longing for the feeling you can only get when you are pregnant. Of course both of them had lots of babies and weren't even contemplating more! So, I think for some of us baby making machines, once we go into retirement we always feel a little loss.

Eric is VERY done having children and I still remind him at least once a week that I still want one more. If he was on board we would have two more! I'm not ready to be pregnant again, but I really am not at all ready to let go of the dream!

I have not even birthed my second child yet (31.5 weeks along), and I am already sad knowing that this will most likely be my last pregnancy, birth, and child. My husband is VERY adamant about us being done. (However, there were also times when he was pretty sure that we were DONE with just Savannah too.) But now that we will have "one of each," I am pretty sure that he won't be open to the idea of trying for a third, in the near future or ever. I even left this group back when my husband was in that "we are done with just one" phase. I didn't want to see it (LNB) when I logged on because it would always remind me of what I couldn't have but wanted so dearly. I just didn't feel "complete" with just our family of three. I am hoping that I will eventually feel complete with our family of four (because I'm pretty sure it won't expand beyond that), but I guess only time will tell.

My six and seven year old daughters said out loud my secret feelings after finding out that we are expecting our fourth girl. "Yay it's a girl! Now we can keep having more babies after this.". Our original plan was four, but I might be able to get a "boy try" from my darling husband. I hope by then I will be too busy to feel sad about not having any more because I know for sure that I will be maxed out on time, energy and patience. I will still be homeschooling, cloth diapering, nursing, and babywearing for years to come, and I will enjoy it while it lasts.--Ashley

Absolutely, and I feel like this is something that doesn't get discussed enough. After my first baby was born, I was literally in mourning for not being pregnant again. The best way I can think of to describe it is that it was like going from being a princess, in bloom, beautiful, to being Cinderella, up all night, spit up on my blouse, alone in the house. I could go on and on. It was really odd, though, here I had this beautiful baby but was crying because I missed having him inside of me. A few years and some therapy later, I realize that I was mourning the big shift in my life that had occurred and also my intense birth experience shook loose some stuff I needed to deal with.

For the past few months I have been mourning not ever being pregnant again, like that part of my life has come and gone. It makes me feel a bit old but now I am feeling excited for what is next and just enjoying the blessings I have.

Amy S. and I are in the same place right now. Maxed out with two...not sure how to handle three but missing being pregnant.

I thought I might be pregnant last month. I was freaked out at first then got excited...then AF showed up and I was disappointed. What a rollercoaster!

DH says he was happy with one...now he has one of each he says we are done but he gets that glint in his eye and blush on his cheek when I tease him so I know he is teasing me. If we could afford it I would have 2-3 more but there is no way. I want one more and then we will see. I already am saddened that one day it will come when I know I am done.

Great topic. This is something that's so hard to discuss in today's culture. I sincerely belive the Lord has a plan for each of our families. The challenge comes in accepting that plan.

After each of my first three children, I did mourn the thought of not having more. Eventually, I would get a spiritual tap on the shouler to consider having another child. By the time I did conceive I was anticipating another child, although I can honestly say there was never a time when I felt like I could handle another one. There is rarely ever a good time for another child. You will always find a reason to wait just a little longer. But I would pray about the Lord's will and frequently recite the short phrase, "Let me want what You want for me, Lord. And let my husband want it too." I never wanted my husband and myself to be on separate pages in regards to family planning. Sometimes he was ready first, sometimes I was ready first, but we would always keep an open heart on the issue and be considerate of the other's concerns. I praise God that it has always been a moment of joy when we found out we were expecting another little one.

After my fourth child, I felt at peace with not having any more children. I felt that it would be okay if that was my last child. At the same time, many of my friends were swearing that they were done and that was hard for me to accept. It was somewhat intimidating to face that what I had known for so many years -- diapers, nursing, sippy cups and board books -- would be changing. The thought of that inevitable adjustment helped me consciously appreciate and enjoy my fourth pregnancy and babyhood though in a way I might have missed if I had figured it would be one of many.

This last baby has been a huge challenge for me to adjust to, mostly because I anticipated moving on from that phase in my life. It's difficult for me to discuss because I don't want to be misunderstood on the issue. We had postponed pregnancy for many months. I know how to avoid pregnancy. But I got that nagging feeling again that the Lord had another baby for us. My husband heard the call too but I was fighting it. I had other plans for my life. Still I had to remind myself that I can see only so far into the future -- a few weeks or months at most. God can see forever and I trust that He knows what's best for me. So I prayed that my heart would open again.

In fall 2008, I knew full well in that I was fertile and with my history, sex + fertility = baby, every time. But it took a great act of submission on my part to concede to the Lord's call to have another child. It was like squeezing my eyes tight and just jumping into the water, knowing that the Lord would somehow give me the grace to swim once more. Sure there have been sacrifices with having another one. With a baby there always are -- patience, sleep, time -- but my reward has come in how utterly grateful and adoring my older children are with the baby. They come to help me often when I'm trying to cook or do housework or navigate the stroller through the zoo. When I get in a rut and start to think "I could do so many other things if it weren't for the baby." I just focus on the blessings he has brought to all of our lives.

My husband now tells me that after our fourth, he had felt we weren't done, but now he does. When people ask me if that's it for us, I never say absolutely. I just say I'm at peace with not having more, but I'm open to what the Lord puts on my heart. I can't predict the future. I can only participate in it and graciously tend to what I'm given.