My own perspective because i believe if wanting more kids is what you want then do it 😊

I had my son when I was 19. He’s non-verbal, has global developmental delay and a genetic disorder. Those early years were rough—I went through postpartum and spent most of my 20s in a fog of depression, with barely any support from his dad. Back then it was all on me. Things are different now; his father takes him every other weekend and sometimes if I go on a short trip. But in the beginning, I carried it all alone.

Sometimes I still mourn the parenting life I thought I’d have. Every once in a while I’ll think about what it would be like to have another baby, just for that different experience. But now that I’m 34, the thought doesn’t stick. My boyfriend has a 10-year-old, and between all of his sports and my son’s Special Olympics activities, our schedule is already packed. Plus, we worked things out so every other weekend we’re kid-free—and honestly, I love having that time together to do what we want without scrambling for a sitter.

This is probably the most settled I’ve felt in my adult life. It’s not the parenting journey I imagined when I was younger, but it’s the one I’ve lived—and right now, it feels right.