Member-only story
Although both my husband and I are both from families of 4, over the years we have always talked about the possibility of a bigger family. Three kids seemed more manageable. That said, I have an odd fascination with even numbers…so I liked the idea of 4.
All that considered, as a 2 physician couple, we had waited until the end of our training to start our family… we were well into our 30s when we decided the time was right. We felt incredibly fortunate to be able to get pregnant pretty easily as many of our friends were struggling with infertility.
As we embraced the changes inherent to parenthood. We found that we *mostly* enjoyed the ups and downs we experienced as parents to our two little girls.
I found it fascinating that I felt pretty great while pregnant and incredibly lucky to have pretty healthy uncomplicated pregnancies. I had more energy, less back pain, and although TMI, vaginal dryness I had been dealing with improved considerably.
At the time, I suspected it was in large part due to my improved habits while pregnant. I exercised more regularly, ate more fruits and veggies, drank more water, and prioritized sleep. Overall though, my experiences seemed so different from many of my friends’ and colleagues’ experiences.
