I've been battling a sickness for months now. Years, actually. It's painful, it's annoying, and there is no known cure.
It's called baby fever and you may be familiar with it.
The symptoms occur once your youngest or only child finishes breastfeeding, takes his first steps, or enters kindergarten. Timing varies from person to person, but the symptoms are the same: The longing and yearning and insatiable hunger for a 7- to 8-pound bundle of joy.
Until there is a cure for it, I've created this list for myself and for those of you that might be suffering along with me. It's not as rosy and romantic as we might be remembering ...
1. The cost. Remember diapers? Newborn diapers? The diapers you actually have to change constantly so pee doesn't leak out everywhere? Not like toddler diapers, which you don't need to change until they hang to their knees.
2. The well visits. I love that, if the kids are healthy, we can get away with going to the pediatrician once a year for check-ups. Those weekly/monthly visits to germ-infested waiting rooms are no fun at all.
3. Backward-facing car seats. Remember those? How annoying it is to not be able to look back and see your baby? To have to feel around for the pacifier opening? To not have eye contact with the creature you are belting "Free to be you and me" out to? It's really annoying.
4. Car seats, at all. And let's not forget how much those things weigh. My shoulders ache just thinking about it.
5. The crib sheets. The only thing worse than crib sheets are bunk bed sheets. Don't say I didn't warn you.
6. Baby weight. Enough said.
7. Diaper bags. Those days of having to schlep around diapers and wipes and diaper rash cream and bottles and formula and changes of clothes really put a damper on my cute summer bag collection.
8. The umbilical cord. Ewwwwww.
9. Not being able to communicate. Sure, there are days I wish my children would just shut the hell up already, but it's so nice and easy knowing exactly what they want. Newborns are impossible like that.
10. Nipple leaks. It's the most wonderful feeling in the world to hear a baby cry and not have to worry about suddenly sporting wet spots in public.
Did you have the fever, too? Have I cured you?
Image via nationalarchives/Flickr
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Comments 88
About half of this can be negated. :) Mirror for rear-facing baby, don't carry the infant car seat, use cloth diapers, etc.
Honestly, the things for me that prevent me from really wanting another baby are thinking about the ability to have a family vacation, me wanting to go back to school, having time and ability to care for the two kids we have, etc. Just telling myself the less kids, the more time for each and the more money for each helps me remember why we're done.
I love all of that! I don't worry about not seeing the baby while driving because I have those mirrors for the back of their seats to see through my rear view mirror. I babywear, so other than putting the carseat in for the first time, I never have to know how much it weighs. I cloth diaper so no need to buy more diapers. I love the pedi office because I get to see other kids and oogle over our little joys with other parents. I wear cloth nursing pads, so in the case of a leak, I don't even notice and they are comfortable unlike the crinkly paper nursing pads. This list couldn't even begin to cure my baby fever! Now, write a list about teenagers adn THAT will make me think twice!
Age is a definite. I'm 37 expecting in less than a week plus I had one last year also. Its much harder to carry and deliver being older.
Nope. Still wish I could have another one.
Here's one more reason.... from Bedtimes are for Suckers the only blog written by a pissed-off 4-year-old:
6 Things I Plan to Hate My Mom For When I’m a Teenager http://bedtimesareforsuckers.com/2011/05/05/things-i-plan-to-blame-my-mom-for-when-im-a-teenager/
None of these things bothered me. Co-sleeping and cloth-diapering help a lot. The diaper bag is a large Fossil purse. I homebirthed, and the placenta is still in the freezer. Big deal.
I would think the fact that they eventually grow up to be teenagers should make the list.