another baby? inconceivable!

For some moms, Baby Bunching is an accidental by-product of prior fertility problems. After undergoing months or years of stress and heartbreak while trying to conceive their first child, many couples assume that post-baby birth control (breastfeeding is not 100%) or even attempting to plan for child number two are moot points.

We’ve talked with many moms who were preparing for fertility testing or actually went through this emotional rollercoaster of blood tests, hormone injections and even IVF before having their first child. After finally getting pregnant many then go on to assume their past difficulties of conceiving combined with breastfeeding mean chances of getting pregnant again immediately are slim. (Perhaps our obstetricians should start making us retake junior health class?)

Then there are the other Baby Bunching moms who are actually inspired to get a jump start on the second child because it was so difficult to conceive the first. This happens just about the time their first baby has fallen into a schedule that makes new moms think, ‘this gig really isn’t so bad, perhaps another would be nice.’ And then they throw caution to the wind one day after too much wine, forgetting that exclusive breastfeeding is not always reliable birth control.

This is exactly how I found my blessed with my Bunch. Two years of trying to conceive, one miscarriage and fertility tests and counseling unexpectedly brought us our first son. Absolutely sure that we’d never be so lucky again--with our doctor’s estimated 30% chance of ever conceiving naturally—we decided to get back in the saddle when my first was five months old. We were sure it would take us years to have another one. Two months later, we found out I was pregnant with our second.

This post is adapted from Linda’s article in Washington Parent Magazine.

Comments

[Krystyn]

I've heard of this happening so many times!

[Ninja Mom]

that's what happened to us! 2 years (almost to eh day) of trying, plus fertility meds and a couple miscarraiges before bEastie was born. Then when she was five months old... whoops!

needless to say, careful does not even begin to describe us now! LMAO

[Ninja Mom]

... and apparently my fingers think I've been drinking tonight... well you get the point, anyway.

[JessPond]

But a free baby? How can THAT be bad?! :)

We're actually preventing pg till we can use our frozens...but it SEEMS absurd after almost 3 years (that's 9 natural cycles, 2 rounds of clomid, 4 iui's, 5 medicated iui's, 2 fresh IVF's, and an FET) to even do that. However we WANT to USE our frozens, so prevent we will till...whenever.

Our bunch WAS a product of "eh, what are the chances" though. Who's have thought we'd be matched with a birth family the SAME WEEK we found out that an IVF worked? Literally a few days on anyone's part and we'd now have just one child.

Crazy how things happen.

[Maddox]

I'm a babybuncher by accident. Took us 3 years to get pregnant with our first so at my post partum visit with my OB, she was talking about birth control options and all I could remember was blah-blah-blah. Lo and behold, 7 months after I got pregnant! Another baby girl, and what a blessing!

[geekymummy]

Mine are 2 years apart, and were planned that way (planned on even closer actually!). But a male coworker (not from this country, cultural differces I guess) asked me point blank if we had planned the second baby or if he was an accident due to breastfeeding!

[Chan]

2 years to concieve the first, 2 minutes to concieve the second.

[Rachel]

Some of us are babybunchers by accident, but not after lengthy conceiving difficulties. We just used the methods that kept us from pregnancy before (in my case, for five years) and they didn't end up working quite as well this time!

[MoDLin]

Even when we thnk we're paying attention, life is full of surprises!

[richele]

i never knew there was a title for what we had going on in our house - we are apparently hyper-babybunching, via adoption. our youngest is 10 months and our oldest two are one.