Seeking Advice with Working Mom/ General Mommy Angst

My strong feeling is that God designed mothers to be the primary care takers, therefore your longings are very natural. If you can go with it, do it. I can only speak for myself, but I know I'm not alone; motherhood is far more rewarding to me than my former full time career. Every day I see marvelous things my baby and toddler do, and say. It warms my body from my toes to the tips of my hair. I cannot imagine how many mommies miss out on their children. My guess is that you almost cannot face the horrible idea that you've actually been lied to all these years; that its not enough to be just a mom. I get that some mommies have to work. I don't stand in judgment, but my heart aches for these mamas. No, I don't think this is a hormonal hump. I think these are the deeply repressed longings of your heart.

It's entirely possible that stopping the pill has triggered a "Time to make a Baby" repsonse in your brain chemistry and hormones.
If you are the main breadwinner and would have to really cut back to have a baby, wont that cut into what you have to give your existing kids AND the new baby? Then you will have even more pressure to work. What about insurance? Are you carrying the insurance? If you get pregnant you will need that and wont be able to keep it if you go part time. Could you take a leave of abscence and focus all that mommy love on the family you have for a while? Then when you go back to work, you will actually look forward to it. Maybe go part time now and see if that fulfills your mommy angst without making a new little human. Just find a way to get through this transitional phase without doing something you can't take back. If you're unhappy and you think adding a new baby will fix that - that's a good time NOT to have a baby. Wait and revaluate that decision in 6 months.

I think this is a "hormonal hump" (great phrase!). You also said when work is busy, you don't think about the kids and that works great for you. If work is less stimulating right now, why not address that problem? Can you ask for more work, a new project, some training, etc?

Hi! I think it's at least partly hormonal. Weaning does affect your moods, and going off the pill at the same time compounds it. I was all out of whack when I weaned my son, and it took several months to get back to normal. Maybe having another baby and staying home is the right answer for you, but I'd wait a few months to act on it. Make sure it's not a temporary hormone imbalance before you make a decision that will have long-term implications for you and your family. In my experience, working part-time can result in marginalization, but maybe that's just my field (legal). Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Certainly don't jump into a change. Wait it out for a few months. Make a list of pros and cons. Perhaps there is a way to supplement your income from home. (That's a hint, as I have helped many moms do just that!) It is always a hard juggling act to be a working mom, as if being a mom isn't challenging enough! Good luck to you.