Baby steps

My husband has babies on his mind. Our conversation is increasingly infiltrated by references to our future kids. His favourite question at the moment is, 'when did you say we could start?'. And as exciting as that is, it's also bloody scary.

I want children, of course. I want them very much, and I find I'm being drawn to young kids and babies in my daily life. But I'm ten years younger than R and I'm definitely not ready for offspring yet. I'm nervous at the thought of my body changing radically, my lifestyle turning on its head, my career being put on hold, my priorities shifting dramatically. It's a big step that I know I need to be more comfortable with than I feel now. I've accepted that we'll have to compromise a little around timing - he can't wait for another 3-5 years, which would be ideal for me.

R is understanding of and sensitive to my concerns around this. He's not putting unbearable pressure on me, but I am aware of the subtle and constant yearning in him. I've been told that one is never totally ready to have kids - they usually arrive a little bit too soon! And the irony is that often when older couples are 200% ready and desperate for children, they struggle to have them. I know I'm lucky to have a financially secure husband who is amped for offspring, and that I have the opportunity to be a young, and perhaps more resilient and energetic mother than I might be in five years' time.

But how do I get over the nerves?

HoneyChild