Thank you all for sharing your personal stories on pregnancy. I am 35 and the past 6 months I have been mourning that part of my life because I know deep down in my heart that I won't be able to be the type of mom I want to be.
I've had an amazing life with traveling and putting my career first and have accomplished everything I put my mind to.. I always put the thought of having kids off because I wanted to wait until I was..surprise..35. Well now I am here and I have this awful disease. It's something I am not willing to go forward with because the pain has changed me so much. My boyfriend who I live with has joint custody of 2 kids from a previous marriage and it is all I can do to tolerate the noise, chaos and level of parenting that a 4 and a 8 year old need. I know it would be different and I would probably be more tolerant if they were my own children but the level that it triggers pain is not something I want to explore.
I've sadly grown envious of the other pregnant women at work and I've withdrawn from helping out with the parenting of my boyfriend's kids.It may be just a phase in the grieving process but it is just a reminder of a joy of life that I will not be privileged to experience.
I think it just comes down to what you know in your heart to be true and listen to your body. Parenting comes in many forms and for some, there are different approaches that work but personally I know that it would unfortunately exacerbate symptoms for me.
Goodluck to all of you being brave and courageous to take this on.