So I just needed to vent.....I have nobody to talk to at the moment. I feel super alone.
So everythings been great with my BF of 1 1/2 years......now the baby talk came up lately. He is determined to have children.....Me? I don't know. I have never been at a point in my life where I've said..."I can't wait to be a mom......" I'm 26, about to turn 27.
He's worried that if we get married I will someday say "You know what, babies aren't right for me"
I just DON'T KNOW!
He would make a great dad, me as a mom..I know I can do fine, if not great. I just am not a time in my life where I want to think about babies. It scares me to death to be pregnant. I fear most of all I will get fat like my mom did after she had us kids...and then the health problems to come.
I just don't know. I love him with every bit of my heart but I feel he will drop me for this one issue. As shallow as it sounds...I know he loves me too but it baffles me he's willing to give up everything because I can't give him a sure yes or no.
I did the mistake of telling him I would do it FOR him. I guess that's not what he wanted to hear.
I guess he want's to end up like his brother, knocking up some chick he fights with and then loving the kids but having a crappy relationship???????????????????????????????????
Don't have babies for him. If this is a deal breaker, make it YOUR dealbreaker. Just let him know you are uncertain at this stage and you cannot say how you will feel in the future. If he loves you he will support you and, who knows, in time you may want to have babies. However, if you dont want them and have one you are saddled with it.
I think SOME men are of the opinion that having babies is no big deal, and to them, they're right. They do how much work in the whole process of making a baby and women are left struggling through 9 months of pregnancy, hours of labor, and then all the emotional, psychological, and physical changes that result from carrying a child, birthing it, and caring for it.
It's not really his life that would be changing, it's YOURS. So YOU are the one in control of whether you will have children and when. As Sinoia said, you're not a brood mare that he can just knock up because he's getting the feelings of wanting to populate the planet some more.
Explain to him, in gentle terms, how much of an impact having a child is not only on a relationship but on a woman individually and say that you aren't sure if that's a task you're up to at this point in time. If he can't accept that you're not willing to jump head first into a life changing decision like having a child is, then I would consider reevaluating the relationship.
That's just what I'd do personally, but I also know it would take an EXTREMELY SPECIAL man to make me want to have kids. I don't want them now or ever and he'd have to be made in heaven for me/perfect fit/soulmate/type dude for me to ever want to have children.
You know it has to be a decision made by both of you. It's not something to get into lightly. My wife and I didn't decide to have children until we were in our mid-30's. We weren't ready. Do not do it unless you are sure you are ready, no matter what. Don't do it for him, don't do it to "save" the relationship. Children are a LOT of work. If he leaves you because you're not ready, then that's on him and you'll have to come to grips with that.
If he knows he wants to have children he has the right to persue that. I know women who have left their husbands because the husband didn't want to have children. I really don't see the difference. If two people have uncompatable life goals I really don't see how they can successfully stay together.
If you're not ready for kids, you're not ready it's that simple and he needs to respect that!
You guys have only been together for 1.5 years...what's the rush? I can't stand desperate people who need to be married, or need to have children because society says have them by the time your this age. It's ridiculous.
Tell him you're not ready and that yes you said you would be willing to have kids but not this point in your life, when you're older. If he leaves you because of that it's because he never loved you to begin with. Harsh reality I know but if you do things you don't want to in the end you'll learn to resent him, yourself and probably the children. IT'S YOUR BODY, YOUR CHOICE! so unless the TWO of you are both ready you need to close this discussion and speak to him firmly about it.
Also...who says once you have kids he'll stick around anyways? So you pop out a baby or two and make it to a 3 year relationship who say's it doesn't end there? You've only been together for 1.5 years...take it slow theres plenty of time for babies and all that other huge responisbilty...
sorry, but a 1.5 year relationship is long enough to be discussing life goals and seeing if they are compatable. Would you tell a woman that if she really wanted kids and was with a man who didn't? Would you tell a woman who left a man who couldn't give her what she needed in life that she never loved him in the first place?
Be honest with yourself, and be honest with your boyfriend.
When my husband and I began discussing our long-term goals for life, the topic of children came up on many occasions. In fact, it still comes up as we communicate about our wants and needs as they change over time.
I am a person that may or may not choose to have children in the future. I was quite straight forward about this with my husband long before we were married.
I believe my words were something the effect of "I'm not sure that I want children. I may one day. I do not want them now. I do know that my mind is not completely made up on the matter. If we choose to stay together, we both have to be okay with the fact that it's a real possibility that I may never want to have children. I understand if this conflicts with what you want, but we should face things as they are and decide if this relationship is right for us."
It was a longer discussion than just that, but it needed to be said. If he was the type of person who absolutely 100% wanted children, then we wouldn't have made a good fit for each other regardless of how much we cared for one another. Either he'd be resentful if I never wanted children, or I'd be resentful for having children to make him happy.
He's okay with it, and he's okay if we change our minds down the road.
From your post, you're at a point in your relationship where the long-term is being discussed. It needs to be discussed honestly. For both your benefits.
If you don't know, you don't know. There's nothing wrong with not knowing. He will have to decide whether your life goals match up with his, and the same goes for you. This isn't a shallow issue for either of you. It's very personal, and potentially life altering.
You said it yourself- you're not at a time in your life where you're ready to think about babies. I'm not either, and I don't know that I ever will be, so I understand. You just need to be honest with your bf that it's not something you're ready for at this point and you don't know if you will be. You might decide a few years down the road that you do want kids or you definitely don't. But you don't "owe" him children, and it's not something you should do "for him." The resentment you're already feeling about this issue is apparent in your line about his brother. No doubt you'd love your children if you had them, but you'd resent your bf/husband if you felt forced to have them or lose him.
Couples don't always have matching life goals, and sometimes they are deal breakers- but that's okay.
I have always wanted children, I've known that since I was 12. I have DEFINITELY ended relationships because we were not seeing eye to eye on that topic. Ended a 2 year relationship because we were in our 20s and he didn't want kids until he was late 30s. I didn't want to compromise and I didn't want him to have to. So we broke up instead.
Before I moved in with my current boyfriend I had a talk with him. I said "Once you move in together, you either get married or you break up. People don't generally move in together then move out then get married. I want children. Before we do this, I need to make sure you want them too." He told me that he was not thrilled about having kids for a long time and only recently did he think that having kids could be good. He said if he never had any kids he'd be okay and if he did have kids, he'd be okay with that too.
Don't settle. Don't do it "for" him. I think you should be with someone who is fine with whatever you eventually decide. There are guys out there who don't think they need kids to have a fulfilled life.. but they aren't opposed to it either.
You are almost 27, you don't need to decide now. But I probably would decide if this is a dealbreaker for your relationship. You shouldn't HAVE to have children because he wants them. And he shouldn't HAVE to be okay with not having any. It's a meaningful, fundamental difference between the two of you. It's not a silly thing to break up over.
Having matching goals in life is a huge factor in a successful relationship. It sucks when you love someone and don't see eye to eye on things and sometimes you have to end it. I know how hard a decision that can be (am in the middle of this myself except I want kids and he doesn't know/doesn't think so). It's really hard to deal with but in the long run you want both of you to be happy.
I've got to say that if you guys can't agree on this thing it probably is a dealbreaker. I've always known I wanted kids, honestly, I can't ever remembering a point of time that I didn't want at least one kid. Every guy that I've dated I've pretty much made sure we agreed on that early on. Didn't mean that it was remotely a constant topic of conversation but it's something important enough to me (amongst other issues) that I would've ended a relationship over it.
FWIW, I have seen marriages end because of this very issue. It's a lot easier to get out of one now then with many years of marriage under your belt.
Sorry, I'm not trying to sound harsh. I do think this is 100% your decision and nobody should be forced into a pregnancy if you don't want one. On the other hand, he certainly should have the same choice and if it's clear you don't want kids, then it's his choice to leave.
Another thing too... as someone who has had fertility issues and have seen friends and relatives who have struggled with them too (and I'm talking about women in their late 20's/early 30's), it is a decision that you might have to make sooner than later. If you don't want kids that is 100% OK but be sure about it, come to peace with the decision and know that if you change your mind in your mid-30's there maybe not be the option left for biological children. I have many friends who have made that decision and are happy with it. Others who have decided to adopt. It's a very personal choice. But I do think it's worth doing a bit soul searching first and making sure you're happy with your choice.
As... I definitely think 1.5 years is long enough to decide about a relationship. DH and I got married after 1.5 years of dating and are still married today (many years later! ).
Oh, and about weight gain in pregnancy. I gained like CRAZY but I also ended up eating a TON of crap and not exercising enough. So... if you eat healthy, and exercise a lot of that can be prevented. Also, check my ticker. I'm underneath my prepregnancy weight, it's definitely possible to lose it again even if you do gain a lot.
sorry, but a 1.5 year relationship is long enough to be discussing life goals and seeing if they are compatable. Would you tell a woman that if she really wanted kids and was with a man who didn't? Would you tell a woman who left a man who couldn't give her what she needed in life that she never loved him in the first place?
Possibly wrong choice of words, but it was more my opinion. I also didn't say don't discuss future goals, I said whats the rush? as in whats the rush into having children at this point in her life especially when you've only been together for 1.5 years. Not to mention she's not even married to him yet. (not I don't exactly agree that you need to be married, or I'm one for marriage, but doesn't that thing usually come up before deciding babies?) I personally do think if he left and went to another woman right away to be his baby maker he didn't love her. Or he loved her but wasn't IN love. (again my opinion.) She already told him she'd do it for him, she's just not ready right now and if he's pressuring her about it, of course she's going to freak out and I don't blame her. I'm the same age as her and you bring up babies to me I shut right down. Who know's maybe in the end it'll work out for the best, or she'll come to realize that as much as she loves him, he's just not the right person for her...
Actually this story reminds me of the book baby proof (by the chick who wrote something borrowed. lol)
Thanks guys. We talked again this morning...got it worked out. I told him I was open to it....and I can see myself having kids with HIM. But I have just been scared because I hear horror stories from people being pregnant...seeing how my mom gained and never lost the weight...how it deteriorated her health so much.
I think what hurt me most was that it felt like it was a dealbreaker. He said he doesn't want to get married unless we are on the same path, yet says if we don't have kids he would be with me the rest of our lives anyways.
I feel better, but yeah we are both not ready yet, which is good. I just haven't thought about it much..haven't been around kids much..it's scary! It' an obstacle I can get over eventually but I just wanted his support. But I guess my jokes and complaining about pregnancy scared him more than anything.
Possibly wrong choice of words, but it was more my opinion. I also didn't say don't discuss future goals, I said whats the rush? as in whats the rush into having children at this point in her life especially when you've only been together for 1.5 years. Not to mention she's not even married to him yet. (not I don't exactly agree that you need to be married, or I'm one for marriage, but doesn't that thing usually come up before deciding babies?) I personally do think if he left and went to another woman right away to be his baby maker he didn't love her. Or he loved her but wasn't IN love. (again my opinion.) She already told him she'd do it for him, she's just not ready right now and if he's pressuring her about it, of course she's going to freak out and I don't blame her. I'm the same age as her and you bring up babies to me I shut right down. Who know's maybe in the end it'll work out for the best, or she'll come to realize that as much as she loves him, he's just not the right person for her...
Actually this story reminds me of the book baby proof (by the chick who wrote something borrowed. lol)
seriously? you think people should get married before they discuss if they want kids or not?
he didn't want her to get pregnant this month by the way, he wanted to know if she wanted to have kids one day.
Babies?
Be honest with yourself, and be honest with your boyfriend.
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