when did you decide?

hi - it seems i have too much time to think lately! spending nearly every hour in the house here will do that to you! so, my latest thought is when did everyone decide that it was the right time to start having kids? it's funny - on the honeymoon, i said "not for a very, very long time"!! and i held that opinion for the first week here! now that i hardly ever see my husband, i am starting to ponder again - i think i have realized that if we were to have them during his residency, he would very rarely see them.

so maybe wait another 2.5 years until we are finished with this? or until the last year?

Hehehe...on the honeymoon I said "not for a very long time" too...Andrew was born almost 9 months to the day we got married The minute you start thinking about it, I'm afraid it's all downhill from there



Just kidding...no really, Claudia, I think you will make a great mother..and I think you and your husband should sit down and talk about it. Just be sure and get your Masters done first!!!



We had three children during residency and I don't know that I would have done it any other way...But you're right...he would be less involved in the parenting. It may be easier to wait until there is more financial security...and it may depend on what you want in terms of staying at home or working....



I can't wait to hear what you guys decide...there must be something in the water lately.......

[houseelf]

Hi Claudia,



Two thoughts came to mind when I read this:

1)You'll never be completely ready as parenthood is a wonderful adventure like no other; and

2) Kids are always wonderful blessings no matter when they arrive. They have their own way of arriving at exactly the right time.



Pretty cryptic, I know, but there is no definite answer. I promise you that both my husband, who was an intern during baby's first year, and I think that this child is the best thing that ever happened to us. Good luck!

(mental note to self: stay away from the water for a little longer...)



Kelly

[Phoebe]

Good Question Claudia! I am still wondering when we decided because we kept changing our minds. There are many factors to consider when starting a family whether you are in medical training or not. We had only been married 6 months when I became pregnant. You could say it was planned but still a surprise when we got the news. We planned on waiting a year after marriage to start a family, but our time frame was shortened to 9 months and then it happened even before then. Factors influencing our decision were a mutual love and desire for children (3 or 4), our ages (32 and 31) and the timing sort of fit into my career plans and desire to return to school.



We considered the timing of the pregnancy around my husband's rotation schedule so that he could take some time off. But it didn't really happen like clockwork. Kelly said that children come on their own time. This is certainly true because for the last year I haven't been happy in my job, but in the last month I have had a renewed sense of commitment to it because of a new project I am working on. It seems kind of ironic that our baby is going to arrive right when I like going to work again.



Like everyone else said, there is no real answer except for what is right for you.



Hope this helped. Jennifer