I really hate to admit this, but I'm glad our last cycle was unsuccessful. We've been trying to get pregnant with Baby No. 3 for nearly six months now. A couple times, I felt certain we were going to make that baby. Every month that ends with negative pregnancy tests and the arrival of my period has been emotional.
Except this last one.
When Aunt Flo arrived, I couldn't help but feel a bit of relief that Baby No. 3 would not be sharing a due date/birthday with my oldest child. Yes, I was bummed that I wasn't pregnant. My husband and I even joked that of course we'd probably get pregnant around the same time of the year we conceived our daughter. It was kind of interesting to see the same projected due date based on my guesstimated fertile week.
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Although we continued to actively try to conceive last month, I don't really want my kids' birthdays to be that close together. I love my daughter dearly. She's funny, smart and a born leader, but I don't think she would handle a new baby being born too close to her birthday well. She already shares it with my favorite holiday, but I'm not sure she wants to share it with a sibling too. I know she would adjust and everything would work out in the end, but the sense of relief was undeniable.
In truth, no matter when we get pregnant and have another baby, it will be a big change in our lives.
We have one more cycle to go (this one!) before we're free and clear of overlapping our children's birthdays. If we get pregnant this month, then Baby No. 3 would have a due date a few days past our son's birthday. He's more laid-back and for some reason I feel like he wouldn't mind as much. However, I'm not sure how I feel about potentially having three birthdays between Halloween and Christmas. We don't overdo birthdays, but we like everyone to feel special and celebrated on their day. The end of the year is already so busy with the holidays!
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My husband and I share a birthday. We have no problem with this and I think it's pretty rad, but we didn't have to share our birthday with a family member growing up. However, if we conceive in April, then we might have to share with our youngest. Wouldn't that be something? I could feel like I'm throwing a joint birthday party. We joked about the possibilities, but had hoped to be pregnant before running into these scenarios. I am glad we agreed ahead of time to continue baby-making despite possible due dates.
So why wouldn't I want a new baby to be born around my daughter's birthday, but be OK with it being around my son's or mine? I think it's because she was my first. In truth, no matter when we get pregnant and have another baby, it will be a big change in our lives. The whole family will need time to adjust, whether they share a birthday or not.
Image via Flickr/pradeepkram
