The dreaded question for any mum: ‘When are you having another one?’

If there was such thing as Maternity Ward bingo* this would be the big winning square in the middle – that is, how soon a mother is asked "When are you having the next?" after giving birth. The baby is almost fresh from the womb, being cleaned and the family notified, when some idiot pipes up "oh you can’t leave them on their own – you’ll have to get them a little brother or sister, a little friend." As if you can pop down to Argos and order one over the counter. Right now, I would rather buy my son friends than have to grow him one. I would rather spoil him rotten, buy him every crazy gimmick, every overpriced toy that comes along, so all the other kids with several siblings want to play with his new toys and hopefully by extension him (in this plan I’m hoping he won’t be that bright, so it might take him several years to figure out that these are not real friends). I have a friend who has three under the age of five, and before I had mine I had no idea what a feat of human resilience she was exhibiting on a daily basis by not hiding under her bed and hoping they would all go away. Watching her with those kids is like watching someone walk a tightrope – it’s amazing, it’s death-defying and I am definitely not having a go. Every so often I think, maybe we could have another when my son is out of nappies, or maybe when he starts school, or maybe after he does his communion or confirmation. And then I realise that I will be too old at that stage to be even worrying about it. Worrying about how I would survive if I got a second non-sleeper, or how would I keep track of an energetic toddler while lugging around a big pregnant belly, or how would I survive another mind-numbing maternity leave? And then I look at my son, curled up asleep, and think ‘ahhhhh aren’t babies so cute .....’ *Maternity Ward Bingo – if it’s not a thing, I’m going to invent it – a million dollar idea if ever I’ve heard one! Cathy lives in Kildare with her husband, 10 month-old son and too many animals for a small household, in fact the place often feels like a petting zoo. She is one half of the team behind AHomeMadeByCommittee (an Irish Lifestyle blog) where she discusses motherhood, weddings, DIY, GIY, and everything in between. Follow her on @CathyCClarke.