So I have a feeling that I am the baby of the board with the youngest LO? How did you ladies deal with 2nd child questions early on? I have already received the questions about when we plan to have a second child. I find myself saying "we're just focusing on our little girl right now...." I feel like if I admit now that I am only planning on having one that people are going to judge me (I have received comments when I am honest so I stopped being so upfront).
How did you all answer this question? Did you decide that you were OAD as early as I did or did it take a while?
Re: The 2nd child question....
We did not decide ourselves until he was about 18 months. I don't think you should decide on anything significant during the first 12 months. About your life at all, not just child-specific. The sleep deprivation alone. If you were already OAD going in to it, that's totally different.
Some people really do think they're done during the newborn stage and then really do change their minds. And it doesn't make them bad people at all. But it does mean that you get second-guessed. It's really better to just not discuss it. At three months, I'd reply with "You're bored with this one already?" and change the subject.
Ironically, when ds was 2, I did start to get the itch. I was so adamantly OAD, I never thought it would happen. But just like I didn't care what people thought about me being OAD, I didn't care what they thought about me wavering. I talked to friends, asked about experiences with having more than one, explored birthing options... And then came back to OAD because that really is where my heart is. And I have never been given a hard time about it. Had I changed my mind, I feel like it would have been more of a celebration attitude than an "I told you so" one.
Although, full disclosure, I never once let on to my baby happy family that I was wavering, lol. Those people are crazy
When people ask, I give them a quick and certain "Nope." If they ask again or ask why, I tell them that DD completed our family.
No one has pressed it beyond that (to my face), if they do, I plan to tell them, in great detail, about DH's vasectomy.
Burned by the Bear
I'm thinking of coming up with a more comical answer like "we like money too much to have another." Someone here had a great response and I'm blanking on it. I think I'm going to get snarky with people who push it.
@MrsCodeMonkey I am so sorry for your loss.
I am all about getting snarky! People are nosy!!