I thought a lot about this thread and the things I said I said in here and first wanted to apologise if any of the people did not appreciate the words of being sorry for those who do not desire children. I am not a natvie speaker of English and maybe the idea I wanted to express comes clearer across with some explanation.
For me, having and raising children is such a source of joy, such a source of experience and love that I would love it if everybody has this in his life. I regret that it can't be the case for all people to experience such hapiness. I can however rationnally understand that having children might just not be this blissfull for everybody else - but despite the rational understanding and examples in my close friends and family, I still think that everybody should be able to experience this hapiness. Now, for other persons maybe this fulfillment comes from other satisfactions... I can't imagine it.
Now to pregnancy: I did not enjoy being pregnant. It was a necessary evil.... I hated being big, my back hurt terribly, they worried me because both of my kids were very small at birth, I never recovered the silhouette I had before and it still causes me sorrow... not to talk about other sorrows I have mentionned in other fora
. I can still rationnally understand why a woman does not want to be pregnant, but I think that it is something that come from a western overcivilised society... where you have the possibility to decide over your body. Everybody's free to handle this in the way he or she wants, I find it a pity to cut ourselves so much from our biological roots.
Adoption... in february 2003 I had a misscarriage, although I had a IUD at this point... I had been pregnant without knowing and without wanting it... and yet it was a great shock to loose this unborn soul. I was sad for months after it... I am a third and clearly unwanted child, although later loved by my parents, and not having this third child was for me like denying myself the right to be born. Facing my distress, my husband proposed me to try to have a third... but in August of the same year, the positive pregnancy test confirmed a tube pregnancy which had to be interrupted. My doctor had very strongly advised me not to try... and this time advised me again not to try again. It was a devasting moment. (And it was around that time that I wrote this memorable RP duel with Barad-Dur, if ever you want to tell him enchie, I wrote all my hatred of the world in there and it was better than any therapy)
At this time, we thought very seriously about adoption: my dream was to adopt an afghan girl - I have a connection to the country, which I have visited as a child, my cousin used to live there, and the future of a girl is more than compromised in this country. Also, even if I am absolutely crazy for my two boys, not having a girl, a little girl is difficult to accept. We started the administrative side, but very quickly my husband became aware of the fact that he could not do it, so of course we bowed out of the process. I am (and was) aware of the difficulties of cross-cultural/racial adoption - but maybe living in an extrememly tolerant and multi-cultural environnement in Geneva felt ready to face this issue.
I have made my grief and accepted things as they are. After all I am very fortunate. I have two lovely healthy children, live in the city of my dreams, I adore my job. I feel fortunate.
I also see that not everybody blossoms in parenthood. My sister had an avortion when she was 27, and then two children later, from a husband from whom she is separated now. Especially being alone with the children, she is overchallenged by the situation, constantly screaming at the kids. Her second son, my nephew has been diagnosted with a form of autism and I don't know at all how she will face his special needs. But she wanted her children badly and never talks about the avortion. Maybe she was not meant to be parent, or maybe not of small children or of boys... but then I don't think any parent is perfect, and we all have to live with the defaults of the family in which we are born. It makes life challenging and interesting.
Once more I apologise if I have offended someone by telling that I was sorry for those who did not want to have children. It's difficult for me to imagine that someone can be as happy without children as with. But that's just me - so maybe it's good that I have children