This story is part of our End of the Childbearing Years series, exploring the experiences, decisions, and feelings of Mormon women around this pivotal transition. Each story is a generous and vulnerable offering. We ask that comments be sensitive and nonjudgmental toward any woman’s choices or beliefs.
By Anonymous
I enjoyed having babies as long as they weren’t too close together. I never had any trouble getting pregnant, being pregnant (except fatigue and backaches), or during labor. One of my babies was born slightly premature, but everything turned out okay. I never set a limit to how many I would have. All my children were boys, but I never was “trying” for a girl, although that would have been wonderful. I thought that I would always want more babies, but as the end of my childbearing years approached, I found that I was satisfied in the family with which Heavenly Father had blessed me.
As this “change of life” progressed, I wondered at my easy acceptance of the postmenopausal condition, but I came to realize that this change of thinking and feeling was how Heavenly Father prepared me for the upcoming changes in my life. I realized that this is the natural progression of life and the future would be as fulfilling as the past. And it has been! It is a gratifying experience to watch my children as adults and as parents themselves. It is even more wonderful to be a grandmother. I can utilize my maternal instincts on my grandchildren and on other children, like Primary classes and cub scout dens and I have more time to devote to them. I have also been able to be a court ordered advocate for abused children for ten years. I pray that I can continue to love all children that are around me and let them know that there are adults besides their parents that love them and care about them.