I am a 39-year-old mom of two: an eleven-year-old son, and an eight-year-old daughter. We were finished growing our family - or so we thought. I am now almost 21 weeks pregnant. (Yes, we were using birth control!) On some days, I find it very hard to think about having a third. I was passed diapers and strollers - and happy to be. I feel so guilty b/c I have several friends who are trying to get pregnant, and can't, and here I am complaining about having a third. My life is great as-is, and I feel selfish for not wanting the status-quo to change. I also feel horrible for not being anything but happy. I just can't help feeling overwhelmed, and sometimes sad, by the thought of starting all over again. I never wanted to be a 40-year-old mom like my mom was. Has anyone ever experienced a similar situation? I'd love to hear from moms who have experienced this and have already had the baby or who are currently pregnant. I welcome any and all feedback. Thanks!!!
Marianne,
I had my one and only son at 39. Although he was very much planned and wanted (after 3 miscarriages), I never thought I would be having a baby at 39, but that's the way it worked out for me. All I can say is that it might just be taking you some time to get your arms around this idea/reality, but I'll just bet that once you see this baby, your heart will melt like it never has before. Also, now that you're a little more mature, you may find that you enjoy motherhood even more. You'll be a more relaxed, confident mom than you were (maybe) the first two times around. Best of luck to you and your family and God Bless!
Though I haven't been in your situation, I would urge you to not be so hard on yourself. You thought you were done and are happy with your life as it is. A baby is a big change and a huge responsibility. I know many 39 year olds who would not ideally want to have a baby at that age, me included. Not that I judge others for their choice to do so, it is just that I feel my family is "complete". I think your reaction is normal. However, just like with anything else in life, you will find a way to adjust. You'll draw on your experiences with your other children and you will be a wonderful mom. I recently finished reading a book called "Thursdays at Eight" by Debbie Macomber. One of the characters is dealing with much the same situation as you are. She is married, has 2 teenagers, owns a business, and is content with her life. She is overwhelmed when she learns she is having a baby at this point in her life. To cope, she leans on her friends that she meets for breakfast every Thursday at eight and she keeps a journal in which she writes down 5 positive thoughts every day (or maybe it is every week). Anyway, you might enjoy it. It is light reading and not a very long book. Warmest wishes!
Hi Marianne,
My oldest is 6 and my middle is 5 and now my youngest is 3 months old. We were not trying for a third especially because my two boys are in school, no more daycare, no bottles, pull-ups etc. I had a hard time dealing with starting over again and so did my husband. I can honestly say that sometimes things happen for a reason. I had my third boy and he was in the NICU for 3 long hard weeks and I did not think I could emotional get through all of it. I can honestly say, when I look at him, I could not imagine life without him. The moment I had him, my whole world changed, my thoughts changed, my way of dealing with things changed. My husband and I work full time and now we have to deal with daycare all over again, but my little bundle is so worth it. Marianne, it will be ok, you have two slightly older children who will help you. My surprise was worth it, but I did not feel the way I felt until I saw his face. Hang in there, everything happens for a reason..
My friend went thru this. She was so upset when she found out she was pregnant but her husband was happy. She ignored the pregnancy until she was really starting to show. She couldn't bring herself to tell anyone until people noticed her growing belly. She already had 2 children and thought they were done. She was miserable during the pregnacy, crying one minute, mad the next. When the baby was born (a healthy boy), she didn't really want anything to do with it. She said she was concentrating on the other 2 kids helping them adjust to a new sibling. Those closest to her knew that wasn't the truth. When the baby was about 3 months old, her husband FINALLY figured it out. When her husband talked to her about it and supported her, that's when she started to accept the baby. I'm happy to say it all worked out, they are a happy family now. Hope this little story helped. Hang in there. There is a reason you were blessed with another pregancy even though it doesn't seem like it right now.
Hello,
Go easy on yourself...part of it is the hormones! I too had a bit of a surprise with baby # 3, however, I did want more children at the time she was not planned for me though. She was such a delight. The best baby I ever had. She to this day is wonderful, she is 18 now. At the time I was 24 so the age for that particular pregnancy was not comparable. BUT I did then have another child baby #4 at 26, I too did not want to be the old mom! I was the youngest of five and my mom was 40 something when I was in elemetary school with everyone elses mom being 20 ish. I was done with diapers and all that stuff, enjoying being throuhg and finished with it all. ANy way, after 8 years I did it again. So I was ready to turn 33 when I had baby #5. I remember feeling so much joy with him. Joy that I didn't remember with the other children, even though I loved and wanted each one. He was a difficult baby, in a sense that along with his colic, which I had with the other 2 boys, he was very clingy. Beyond your wildest dreams. It was like the umbilical was never cut! That lasted for 5-6 years! BUT I certainly couldn't leave him alone being baby #5 with so many years between the first 4. So,I knew I wanted to have a sibling for him. BUT he was so hard, how could I do this again! Time was ticking he was 2 and I wasn't pregnant and I didn't want to. He was so hard. BUt still a joy! I said to my husband let's just do this and get it over with, before too much time goes by. So we did. That was twins! But I lost one baby between 6-14 weeks. I was so sick the whole time. The miscarriage sucked the life out of me. Oh by the way I was 36! She is such a blessing to our family. Everyone of them are. Sometimes just look at this as a gift, and enjoy the package as it comes. I can say having my first 4 early in my 20's and having the last 2 later in life, you really can enjoythem more. You forget the "garbage" and you don't sweat the little stuff. It's easier. Your older children will just love the new baby too. Especially if they are girls, it's like a doll. But Baby # 4 took to baby #5 he was 8 at the time. They are wonderful friends and buddies. Baby #6 is best friends with baby #3. They are 12 years apart. Certainly you didn't expect this. who doesn't like a gift. The diapers, the feedings, you will truly enjoy every bit of it I loved and enjoyed the night time feedings, that was our time. BUT I will tell you the lack of sleep thing does bother you more. SO when he/she naps you need to too or you'll go crazy from lack of sleep. You will be able to experience joy like you never did before because you are older and wiser. Relax, and enjoy the changes one last time. Best wishes-Lisa
Hi Marianne,
Everything in life is a way to learn something about yourself.
You mentioned that you didn't want to be like your Mom and have a baby at 40.
there is the lesson. This is something that willy connect you to your mom and see how she felt.
Just wanted to share. All the best. Donna
Hi Marianne,
I could imagine that if I was in your situation I would have very similar feelings. I think that what you're feeling is completely natural and not at all selfish. I also think that when this baby gets here, you won't be able to imagine how you lived life without this child too. God Bless you. This time around, remember that you will at least be able to enlist the help of your two other children, so maybe you won't be so overwhelmed with keeping up with the house and all.
I have a very good friend who had a surprise 3rd pregnancy at age 40. She absolutely loves her son and wouldn't change anything... now. It is very overwhelming any time there is a surprise pregnancy. It's completely normal to have the thoughts and feelings you're dealing with. It is OKAY to feel this way!!! Don't beat yourself up anymore. Just because you're not super excited does NOT mean you won't love this little baby as much as your other two. And it will probably be easier for you since your other two are definitely old enough to help out with the baby. Your 8 year old will probably be a little mommy herself! (my 5 year old is!) Just try to relax hon... It's okay to be nervous and overwhelmed. Another baby is big change you weren't expecting. It'll take a while to get used to. HUGS!
Women who are 22 and expecting their first baby have almost the same fears that you do... and odds are, you had the same fears with your first baby. Maybe you're not worried about "how" you're going to be a mom... but you're still worried about the impact on your life, your marriage, the future, expenses... all the same things.
I guess what I'm saying is that anytime a new baby might pop into your life, you're going to have some fears and reservations.
I'm sure you can remember seeing your older children for the first time when they were born. The sheer miracle of two adults creating a new life that is unlike anybody else is almost magical. This baby will be no different. A baby is a blessing. Your 3rd child will teach your older children hundreds of lessons that will prepare them for their futures. Love grows and grows. It doesn't have limits.
Also, from a Christian perspective. We forget that God is in control and he'll never put us in a situation that we can't handle. In addition, I truely believe that he knows what is best, and whatever happens, does so for a reason.
Nobody can tell you how to feel or what feelings are wrong or right. Your emotions are your own, so I'm not saying you're bad for feeling a certain way, but I do encourage you to focus on the wonderful aspects that a new baby can bring to your life. The first time she/he smiles... you'll remember. :)
Good luck!
Hi Marianne,
While I am young, only 30 now, I did deal with a surprise pregnancy. My husband and I married while I was still in college. I had finally graduated, had a great job and my husband and I were finally looking forward to a normal life for a few years. I was on birth control and very good about ensuring I had not missed pills etc. I got pregnant less than a year after finishing school. I was 10 weeks pregnant when I found out. While I told my job, I asked them that it be told only on an as needed basis to managers that I worked with. I was devastated and upset. I just wanted to have time for myself and my husband after working full-time and going to school full-time. This disappointment lasted well into my third tri-mester. It was as time went on and I felt him kicking and moving that I was finally able to start dealing with it. He is now 6 and I am so happy to have him in my life. We also have a 4 year old as well. I think that it will take a little time, but I do understand your feelings. I felt the same way about being upset because I knew friends who were trying and were not successful. I do believe that all things happen for a reason, so give it time and I think you will be fine. You are not a bad a person for having these feelings. Good luck!
Amy
I am a mom at 40. I was 38 when my son was born. It does not matter how it comes about,pregnancy is life changing.It is not bad to be an older mom. I feel now in life i am more paitient. I am not the most religious person but god has his reasons for everything.At least financially you will be able to afford another child so that is a good thing. Everything will be alright. Cograts.
This happened to one of our cousins. The same time I was having a very difficult 6th pregnancy (with no babies, yet) at the age of 39, she was 40 and surprisingly pregnant with her 3rd (having 14 & 11 yo sons) and not very thrilled. As the pregnancy progressed, she started to become happier - the family threw her a giant shower and that helped get her more excited. By the time the baby was born, she was very happy about it, and is having a TON of fun, since many things have changed since her older children were born.
Congrats! :)
When I was pregnant with my second, my first was only a year old. I didn't think I was ready for a second one yet. I didn't embrace the second pregnancy like I did the first at all. But all of the doubt and uneasiness disappeared the very second I held her for the first time. The moment that I remember the most of her birth is lifting my newborn baby out of the water (I had a home water birth) and feeling that intense love that only a mother could feel. I didn't even know if the baby was a boy or girl yet, what the name was, and none of that mattered. I loved her.
Almost two years later, and I still love both my little ones so much. My fears were settled, and I realized that giving my older daughter and my step-daughter a baby sister was a great thing.
Sorry I can't help with the being a new mom at 40 or having been past the baby stage part, but I do know the feelings of not being ready for the blessing-on-the-way.
My first two boys were total surprises and I cried and was so upset for a while with each pregnancy. It's ok to be upset. It has nothing to do with how you feel or will feel about this baby. Once the baby comes, it's all good. Then we actually planned for a third, had a loss and got pregnant again. I was very happy! Then we found out a couple weeks later that it was triplets and it felt like our world had crashed down around us. My husband was concerned about the guy stuff like money and where to put them. I was concerned about how I was going to be able to give them all the attention they needed, since my older two are 8 years apart so they had one on one attention. I cried so much, prayed to God for help, decided I couldn't do it anymore at one point and so on. The pregnancy was hell because I was terribly ill. I literally felt like a human condominium. But all turned out well and I gave birth at 39 years old. I've aged allot since having these guys. I'm 43 and my body has gone through so much hell and having lots of after effects. But after it was all over, it was wonderful! It was overwhelming, but in a wonderful way! The one nice thing was that I was older and had more patience and could do things with the triplets that I didn't or couldn't with the older boys. The triplets are 9 years younger than my 13 year old and my oldest is 21, married, has a baby and is the Corps. Allot of things changed since having my 13 year old so in some ways I was able to make up for missed things with my older boys. It's not easy when you're older in some ways, but in other ways, it's much easier because I'm older and more mature. The nice thing for you too is in between dealing with your pre-teen older children they can help with things. They'll be gone to school while you're alone with the baby and can really bond. The entire family will have to become a team and the older kids may have a chore or two added on in the beginning to help keep things running smooth and to give you a break. But with extra chores come rewards. Just remind the kids that "family = team".
My brother and his wife can't have children so I always felt guilty about having kids, especially after the triplets. But I decided that I shouldn't hide or not talk about the babies. I talked to my brother about it and he agreed. Their feelings are theirs and they have to be the ones to deal with any envy they may have.
Congrats on the new baby!
Karen B
mom to 5 including triplets
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I had my first child at 19, second at 23, neither one planned. The next two at age 31 and 36 were both on birth control. The last one, I also felt that way, I cried alot in the beginning for many reasons, but as time went on, I got happy and excited. He is now 17 mos old and yes there are days when I think, omg, I was soo done with this stage, but then there are others when we just snuggle or he makes me laugh like crazy. I got thru it knowing God has a reason for each and every child, so I will trust Him and go with the flow. I love each of my children, none planned but all loved and welcome. Take each day one day at a time, things will work out.
Good luck and God Bless !!
Lori
Hi Marianne,
I'm 54 and have a 15 yr old and 13 yr old. I thought I was done having babies when the 15 yr old came along. (Their older sisters are 25 and 28) I wasn't horribly upset about being pregnant, but I was mortally embarrassed. I had friends who were grandparents, and here I was having a baby that was mine. At a work related seminar, I sat at lunch with a 60-ish bank president who asked me about the coming baby, and when I blushed and admitted I had an 10 and 13 yr old, and this was a surprise, he beamed and said, "I highly applaud your family planning." When I looked confused, he smiled and said, "That happened to me and my wife, and we have loved every minute of it."
I will say that being older and wiser as parents, we were much more relaxed and probably less demanding with the younger children. Not that we were horribly permissive or anything, they are really GOOD kids, but our household seemed calmer. Amazingly, the 4 girls are all SISTERS. I expected that the older ones would kind of become quasi-parental, but they are obviously sisters. When a 12 yr old and 2 year old stand in the living room having a verbal argument, and the 2 yr old is winning, you KNOW they are sisters !! hee hee It was an EXCELLENT method of teenaged birth control - my older girls saw what is was like to have babies in the home, and there was no way they were going to jeapardize their lives by teenaged sex and babies. (a nice side effect) But what it did for me, in the end, was that when I wanted to live in a world where the problems were basically contained within the household, I could hang with the babies. When I was tired of being depended upon 24/7, I could go do something more grown up with my young teens, and thoroughly enjoy being with them. It was a whole lot better than I expected.
My best friend from childhood is almost exactly my age, and has 3 married children, and 5 grandchildren. I tell people I made my own grandchildren, since neither of my older girls have settled down yet, but my husband and I can't imagine what life would be like if we didn't have the two younger girls. Because of them, we have friends our ages, and we have friends who are about 10 or more years younger, and we enjoy the whole spectrum.
All that is my story, not yours. You're struggling with a whole lot of issues, loss of freedoms, lost expectations, an unsure future, and for better or worse, a very different future than you thought you'd be living. It's not unusual to grieve all that. So don't berate yourself, and don't feel guilty (that's a "mom specialty) about the feelings you have. The fact that that baby is alive inside you says to me that you've made a choice to keep it, in spite of all the reasons you weren't planning to have another child. So, while you feel this way, just tell your baby that you're struggling with your own feelings, but you are taking good care of him/her in the womb. That's the best you can do right now, and that's perfectly okay. I suspect that since you are actually dealing with all those feelings right now, that you will have come through that by the time the baby is born. But you will do a better job "momming" this one, because you dealt with all those negative feelings before the baby was born.
Good luck ! It's a whole different set of challenges, but in the end, you'll love that baby, and it'll enrich your life and your family life, in many many ways that you don't necessarily expect !!
If it were me I would feel blessed that this has happened. It is a gift sent from heaven, God must think you are a wonderful mother to give you another chance...God Luck with everything, and as far as your friends go, just try not to rub it in and take with a grain of salt. Hope this helps.
Jen B.- married mother of 2 beautiful girls ages 10&5.
Congratulations Marianne,
I was in the same boat. Had two kids, we were done. I finally reached a point where I didn't need a diaper bag to leave the house; I didn't need to worry about food or naps if I wanted to run errands. Everyone was potty trained. We were done building our family but in one weak moment we thought "let's just see what happens this one time with no protection and leave it in Gods hands"…God said we were not done.
I turned 40 two months before my son was born. During that pregnancy I had several moments where I really struggled with what was going on. My body was back, what was I doing to myself. My children were enjoying their play dates and activities that now I didn't have the energy to do or take them to. What else would happen to change the family dynamic?
He is almost 7 month old now. I look at him every day and I think wow, I can't believe this almost didn't happen. What a blessing. He has been an amazing addition to our family. My daughters LOVE having a baby to help take care of and our family is complete in way I could never have imagined.
The first month was hard with all the hormones and post partum and the sleep deprivation. I used my friends and family to help me get through it and he is sleeping through the night now and I feel wonderful. My body may not get to where it once was but I'm OK with that. I'm proud that I made this family and look at my bloopy belly as a badge of honor.
It's Ok to feel what you are feeling and perfectly normal. Once you hold your new baby it will give a new perspective and your feelings will shift.
Best wishes!
Rebecca
Hey! I'm 4 months pregnant with my third. 39 years old in April. Total shock. Very unhappy at first. My situation is different in that I am a late bloomer in general, and my first two are still very young, 3 and 1, so I'm not even out of the diaper stroller years yet. This is convenient since we still have all the gear-but same thing- we were using protection, and didn't want a third. We have a perfect Girl and a perfect boy.
We had planned to move and enroll my daughter in a French immersion school this fall- a dream for a long time, I've been teaching her myself at home since infancy. We wanted to move to Europe in the next few years, and I'm trying to get my full time painting routine back in order and have no time as it is with two little ones. I had things mapped out in my mind "just so". Now everything is on hold. We're on a tight budget with no insurance and will be paying for this birth out of pocket again. We never splurge on the epidural, so I'm not looking forward to the pain. This scraps the move and the French school entirely-and this is the year she needs to start in order not to be behind. I had just finally gotten back in shape physically after hard work "for the last time". My husband (musician) will be gone for the next 8 months almost constantly touring and will probably miss the delivery this summer, but we can't afford to cancel any shows. So much for painting and getting a nanny. I had planned to execute enough work for a major show. Also, I'm having a high risk situation and have been ordered off my feet and am surrounded by inlaws helping while I lay around getting nothing accomplished.
ANYWAY. You get my point. I was secretly whining to myself for weeks about my new lot in life before the truth emerged in my head, that this child is a blessing and new plans will take shape. Every day I get happier and happier.
Don't feel guilty for anything you are feeling. Let yourself work it out. Pray for strength. Just be yourself and live day to day. You're kids will LOVE the baby, and you are still young! Most of my friends didn't start having kids until now-and like yours, they have trouble conceiving, so I feel bad complaining about my plentiful brood. But my best friend who has been trying for years is also pregnant at 41, which is a perk for me to have a pregnant friend.
50 is the new 30! It's good inspiration to be healthy and active and keep yourself young. If you need to talk, let me know. You'll be OK, and once you meet your baby, you'll be shocked you were reluctant. That's what I'm banking on anyway :)
As for not wanting to be a 40 year old mom like your own mom, since I'm already sort of in that boat with young toddlers, I don't feel too old at all. I feel as energetic as I did in my 20's but more mature. And your kids will help. Also, you are very lucky to work at home-as I am. This will help a lot! Count your blessings and allow yourself your grievances. You're mind will catch up to your reality!
Best wishes! I'm here if you need me!