Hey everyone, so I have a question. We had our fourth baby girl last [name_u]January[/name_u] and had major complications. She was born very early and still has all the problems of a premie (respiratory problems, lower weight, weak immune system) and we aren’t sure if TTC a fifth (maybe our first boy!) would be a good idea. What do you other mom berries think???
It depends if you and your husband are able to give all your children, especially your little one with medical issues, the attention and care that they need.
It’s such a personal decision. I would speak with your doctor about whether there are any issues that would mean any further children are likely to have the same complications. Premature births happen for a wide variety of reasons, but if there is any indication that other children are likely to be born premature, that is something to take into consideration.
You also might want to think about how you will handle continued healthcare for your youngest daughter with a newborn. Perhaps it would be better to wait a little longer to see how her health improves. I know a couple whose son was born at 26 weeks, and he was in the NICU for at least 5 months. When he came home, there were a lot of challenges with his weakened immune system and issues with feeding tubes; however, he got a lot better and they were able to try for #2 when he was around 18 months old and his health was better.
I don’t know if anyone can tell you the answer. Listen to your gut. Think about the resources that are available to you and consider hiring help (if you haven’t already). It’s a tough process to find a helper/nanny person that you trust, but it is well worth the effort and your family will reap the rewards of having an extra adult around to lessen the parental stress.
If it were me, I’d probably wait 6-12 months and see how your youngest is doing.
Take care and good luck.
[name_f]Laura[/name_f]