This is a little of a backtrack but I thought I’ll talk a little about planning for a child since the topic came up a few days ago when my brother-in-law was telling my hubby about his rough plan of having a child.

As strange as it may sound, hubby and I only really started trying to conceive when we wanted a kid. Two months later, I conceived. Thinking back, that was really lucky of me. But what if things turned out otherwise? I’ve heard of friends trying for half a year to a year and still no baby in sight. Of course by then, most medical practitioners would say to seek help as you and your partner might be dealing with infertility issues. But I would like to think that sometimes it’s also the stress built up from wanting a kid so badly that somehow it affects the whole situation. Truth be told, by the time we were trying for a kid, I too was a little desperate for one. I already hit the big 3-0 and didn’t want my child and my age gap to be too wide.

My opinion is to plan ahead and give yourself ample lead time, bearing in mind that it takes about nine months to carry a child. Ladies with irregular menstruation cycles should also give themselves a little more time to prepare their body for conception. That way, by the time you’re really in the full swing of trying for a child, you won’t be too stressed out.

I’m not saying that that’s the only stress factor; stress can come from other sources as well. The one we all know too well is from the concern of relatives. No doubt relatives meant well when they ask when you’re going to have a child, but too much concern can become stressful especially if they don’t know what’s been going on all this while. I think a good reply would be: “God has His plan for us.” That answer should keep them pacified for a while. I mean, who’s to argue with a higher being? Well, if you ARE in the position of the well-meaning relative, a better way to show concern would be to tell the couple that you will pray for them, especially if you know they are already trying for one.