It doesn't seem like that big a deal really, and yet, as it turns out, it's a MASSIVE deal. One of the reasons I decided to write this blog was because I couldn't find any blogs about women taking the baby journey. There was plenty out there about rearing children and those facing fertility problems, but nothing on just starting the journey.
I am one of those women that tv shows like Today Tonight and A Current Affair do reports about. I could easily fit into the group of women who have focused on their career and put off having kids until it's all too late. I HATE those tv reports.
No, I am one of those women who wasn't lucky enough to meet my husband at high school, university, somewhere in my 20s or even in my early 30s for that matter. No, I met my husband at 35 and in the last 12 months we fell in love, got engaged and got married. Warp speed to be sure but funnily enough, I was one of those women who wanted to wait until I found Mr Right, rather than resorting to going to the sperm bank!
My problem is, because of the age I was when I met my husband, I had basically given up on meeting anyone and ever having kids. I had reached the stage where I was totally ok with it and realised my life would still be fantastic without those things. So to suddenly have the opportunity creates immense fear.
I was so happy in accepting it would never happen that now I have to accept that I really want it and it might not happen. There's no sane reason why it wouldn't happen. I had some fertility tests a few years ago and they all came back clear. But given my age, I figure preparation is the best line of defence so I'm sending my husband off to have his sperm tested - better to know what we're facing now before we really start. I'm hoping we've got world champion freestylers and not wayward backstrokers!
Overkill perhaps, but given our window is so small, there isn't any time to waste. Knowing what we're facing before we start means we don't waste time on things that aren't likely to happen. In saying that, there's plenty of people who would just say well bugger it, given my age, I'll skip trying and go straight to IVF. Seems normal to me but I don't think the doctor would support it without at least giving things a crack.
That brings me to the reason for the blog - other than not being able to find one. So in fact I guess there's two reasons - to help other women in my situation and to provide an outlet for the anxiety I feel as I start this journey. I've decided I don't really want to talk to people about trying as it puts too much pressure on things when everyone says how is it going? Are you pregnant yet? We got enough of that at the wedding! And there's nothing worse than being asked that question if nothing is happening. I also got enough of that when being single for so long - everyone kept asking how my love life was going!
It would be nice to have people to talk to. But I'm in that rare stage of life where my friends are either single or married, but having to put off babies due to job changes or they're just not interested in having children. It doesn't feel like any of them are in a place where they want to hear me talk about it.
So all in all, I don't really feel like I have a strong support network out there. And that's sad as I'm juggling so many balls of emotions it's a struggle to keep them all in the air. My balls are:
- fear of the changes to our life if we have a baby
- fear of what kind of parents we'll be
- questioning my ability to bounce back if it turns out we can't have kids
- the anxiety of actually trying and waiting on the outcome
- being able to juggle this on top of everything else that's happening in life.
So now we start the journey and I have the next 14 days to get my head around the fact I won't be on the pill anymore and then things start to get serious. But I remain a Hopeful Mumma and put my trust in the fact that time and time again, the universe puts me in the situations I'm meant to be in and brings me the things I'm meant to have. Here's hoping a visit from the stork is one of them!
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