Parenting

20 Completely Unselfish Reasons Moms Stop at One Child

ParentingPublished May 16, 2018
By Jeanne Sager
featured-img-of-post-150698

When I first got pregnant, I didn't plan to have an only child. But after a miserable pregnancy complete with hyperemisis gravidarum (the sort of morning sickness that hospitalized Kate Middleton), the reasons to stop at one started mounting. Some are serious, some not. All are very personal.

And I have a message for all my fellow one-and-done parents out there. People can tell you that you're selfish, but until they know your story, they have no room to judge. In fact, I asked some other parents who have decided one child is it for them to 'fess up to the whys and wherefores. Their stories, the real stories of why people have only children, are anything but selfish:

1. I was a happy only child, and I want to give my child the same happy childhood.

2. My brother and I didn't get along, so I'm not buying into that whole siblings make kids happier thing.

3. I have a special needs child who requires my full attention.

4. I'm concerned about the planet! Having fewer kids is the single most important thing that people can do to lower their carbon footprint.

5. Our one daughter keeps us busy enough!

6. We knew going into parenthood that we only wanted one.

7. My ex-husband decided he wanted another woman.

8. I knew one was (and still is) all I can handle.

More from CafeMom: 10 Reasons It Stinks to Be an Only Child

9. My boyfriend died after our son was born.

10. I would have loved to have more, but I struggled with infertility after my daughter was born.

11. We don't make a lot of money, and one child is right for our budget.

12. My marriage crumbled after my son was born, and my second husband wasn't interested in having kids.

13. My husband and I didn't meet and fall in love until I was close to 40. We only had time to have one!

14. I don't believe in gender selection, and I couldn't guarantee I'd have a daughter the second time around.

15. I had a high-risk pregnancy, and my doctor warned it could be worse the second time.

16. My daughter was born with a serious health condition that turned out to be genetic. We didn't want to risk the same genetic combination with a second child.

17. We adopted our daughter, but the cost was so much that we just couldn't afford to adopt again.

18. We did have two children, but one of them died. I couldn't imagine having a second now. It would feel like I was trying to replace my son.

19. I always wanted a lot of kids, but my boyfriend doesn't. I can't pressure him into having a child he doesn't want.

20. I had uterine cancer after my son was born, and I am unable to get pregnant again.

More from CafeMom: 5 Things Not to Say to the Mom of an Only Child

confessionsfamilytime for you
Cafemom Logo
This is motherhood #nofilter

AboutTermsContactPrivacyPRIVACY SETTINGSSUBMIT A STORY
© 2024 WILD SKY MEDIA.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PART OF WILD SKY MEDIA
| FAMILY & PARENTING
CAFEMOMMAMÁSLATINAS
LITTLETHINGSMOM.COM
This site is owned and operated by Bright Mountain Media, Inc., a publicly owned company trading with the symbol: BMTM.