It seems that when most people get married, right off the bat they either want to delay having children for a long time, or start right away. I was the former. I was always pretty scared to have kids.
We were going through college. I didn’t trust myself. I was afraid. In fact, we had two forms of birth control because I was that adamant about it. Then something happened.
My husband and I both graduated, we were in our late twenties, and we weren’t quite sure what to do with the next part of our lives. So we both prayed continuously to know what was the next step we should take.
Ironically, we weren’t thinking about kids just yet either. I was praying to know if I should stay with my current job, or look for something far away. Should we travel while we can? Or should we just keep doing what we’re doing?
Then one day, clear as a bell, I received my answer: we were to start our family. It was undeniable and I told my husband. He was ready too. Long story short, as it turns out, we’re really fertile.
We had three little boys, all 18 months apart. For 22 days in September every year, our boys’ ages are as close as they can be: 2, 3, 4. Yep, it’s crazy at our house. So how did I go from the woman who was scared to carry a child, to the one that doesn’t think her family is even finished?
The inspiration I felt that day in receiving an answer to my prayer stuck with me for a long time. Even a few months after having our first son, we wanted another one.
My husband and I made a decision early on that we wanted our first two children to be close together. He grew up a single child until he was four and always wished he had a brother (he never got one). We didn’t want our first child to have a hard transition to not being the only child in the family. It was hard for my husband, and we didn’t want it to be hard for our first son.
Then we had two and thought we were set for awhile. We focused on just following my cycle to have or prevent another baby because we’d been able to do that so well with the first two. Ironically, our third one was a surprise! I was pregnant, AGAIN.
So the third baby boy actually wasn’t a decision, but a joyful circumstance. But either way, we were excited. And for now we’re definitely taking a break!
In the end though, why we chose to have three kids in three years was because we love our family and we knew it was right for us.
If you’re thinking about how you want to plan your family, take everything with an open mind. You may have the perfect plan, but remember that life finds a way in every circumstance and always happens for a reason. Accepting that will provide some peace and grace for yourself.
For us, having children close together is much more exciting and fulfilling than having them spread apart. I grew up in a home where my siblings were spread apart more and I feel like our relationships weren’t as strong as they could have been.
At the same time, take time to breathe and remember that family is family no matter what. Come what may and love it.
Sarah
Sarah Prince is the creator of MyNaturalBabyBirth.com and the Confident Mother Birthing Course. She and her husband have three little boys and a dog. As a lover of dark chocolate and personal development, Sarah is devoted to helping you prepare for and achieve the natural birth that you desire. You can reach her at sarah (at) mynaturalbabybirth.com or follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.
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