We want another baby…I think.
Posted by Ilicia on October 22, 2009
We all, as mothers, have had that urge to feel pregnancy again. Whether it was just giving it a brief thought or really contemplating it seriously with your spouse or significant other. I’m feeling like this now. I have visions of what it would be like to hold another baby and to equally love this new child as much as I love the one I already have. But, as a mother that has a child with autism, that’s not an easy decision. In fact, it’s a frightening one. There’s so much that could go wrong but on the other hand there’s so much that can be right about it.
You may have fears that your eldest (or child with autism) may not be as receptive to the baby as you thought they would. What if my son feels left out or regresses in behavior as a result of the new child? What if you feel the need to still give all your attention to the only child (autie) and that doesn’t give you room (so you think) to include a new child.? What if the new baby has autism too?
Truth is, there are statistics that will calm your nerves slightly about the thought of having another baby. Autism prominently appears in male children and the numbers are probably better for the second child. But at the end of the day, it’s all just numbers. No one really knows what will happen.
You can ask yourself these questions until your brain melts, but the point about it is something can happen regardless of whether your other child have autism or not. There’s a chance that something bad will happen just like there’s a chance something wonderful and beautiful will happen. I know I’ll have other children after nursing school but I want it to be worry free from all those questions. I will keep my faith in God and pray for healthy babies. That’s all you can do. You can’t stop living because something that made you feel like dying happened. It happened. We have to leave with that. But there is so much beauty and love to be had and shared. Why not have another child?
