Why some women have that dz¤ä¤¹ing hunger to have a FIFTH child... even when it puts your health at ´í¸± and everyone thinks you're mad

Whenever I see a birth ¹ð¼¨, a baby photo ÃÏ°Ì¡¤Ç¤Ì¿¤¹¤ëd on social ¥Þ¥¹¥³¥ß, a mother ²¡¤·¿Ê¤á¤ëing her newborn in a pram, I¡Çm ÂǤÁ¾¡¤Ä with longing.

My reaction is ·ã¤·¤¤: physical, ²½³ØÀ½ÉÊ, emotional. My heart lurches. I want to cry. I feel such desperate broodiness it is almost like ¶ìÄË.

You may assume I am childless and unable to conceive, a would-be mum who has just ÂѤ¨¤ëd her umpteenth fruitless cycle of IVF.?

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Emily Gorrill, 40, (pictured) still 'yearned for a fifth baby' despite having four healthy children - Henry, 11, Caleb, seven, and four-year-old twin girls Maisy and Essie - with her 55-year-old husband Tim

Emily Gorrill, 40, (pictured) still 'yearned for a fifth baby' ¤Ë¤â¤«¤«¤ï¤é¤º having four healthy children - Henry, 11, Caleb, seven, and four-year-old twin girls Ma isy and Essie - with her 55-year-old husband Tim

¸½¼Â¤Ë I¡Çm not, Îá¾õs Emily Gorrill, in an article ½é¤á¤Ï published in the Mail on May 16, 2016.

In fact, my husband Tim, 55, and I have been blessed with four healthy children - Henry, 11, Caleb, seven, and four-year-old twin girls Maisy and Essie. Yet still I yearn for a fifth baby.

My À®²Ì¡¿ÅØÎÏs to become Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë have resulted in three miscarriages and two ectopic pregnancies, the second of which put my life at ´í¸± when I started to bleed internally. But for the swift ³èÆ°¡¿ÀïÆ® of doctors I might have died.

I realise there will be those who think me selfish, ̵ËÅ¤Ê and ungrateful ¡½ indeed, many friends have told me I am ¡½ but they do not have a ¸¢Íø to ºÛȽ´± me. They cannot understand the yearning that only a fifth baby will subdue.

Because although I know I am very fortunate to have four children, I still feel an ̤²ò·è¤Î sense of loss about the babies I did not have. And now I have turned 40, it is Ï¢¹ç¤·¤¿ to panic that I will not be able to become Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë again. ¤¢¤ê¤Õ¤ì¤¿ sense tells me to stop, but my heart overrules my Ĺ¡¤Î¨¤¤¤ë. I ¡¼¤¹¤ë¤Ä¤â¤ê¤Ç¤¢¤ë to keep trying, whatever the cost.

So when I read how both Jools Oliver, wife of chef Jamie, and Tana Ramsay, wife of Gordon, were each Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë with their fifth child ¡½ and both are a year older than me ¡½ I felt a »¦Åþ¤¹¤ë of hope, and more than a smidgen of jealousy.

I do not even know if Tim, who runs his own carpentry ¾¦Çä¡¿»Å»ö, can understand the intensity of my longing. He is supportive, but he has asked me: ¡ÆDo you really want to go through another pregnancy?¡Ç He knows now that the answer is ÌÀÇò¤Ê. I do. So he has stopped trying to dissuade me.

I also try to keep ³Î¤«¤Ê friends at arm¡Çs length because I resent their ´³¾Ä suggestions that I should give up. One even had the temerity to ask if I¡Çd thought about going on the Pill.

Why do they feel it is their ¸¢Íø to ¿½¤·¹þ¤à¡¿¿½¤·½Ð such intrusive advice or assume that, because I already have a big family, I don¡Çt want to Äɲ乤ë to it; that my pregnancies have been mistakes?

Looking »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë to my Áá´ü¤Ë childhood, I cannot remember a time when I didn¡Çt look º£¸å to ¸ºß a mum. I dressed my dolls in cast-off baby Ã夻¤ë¡¿ÉêÍ¿¤¹¤ës ´óÉÕ¤¹¤ëd by my aunties and my mum ¡½ I¡Çm one of four children ¡½ and ²¡¤·¿Ê¤á¤ëd them in a real child¡Çs buggy.

A t 11, I was still playing with my dolls, putting them into pretend nappies and feeding them from tiny ÉÓ¡¿Éõ¤¸¹þ¤á¤ës. And even when I was ÀßΩ¤¹¤ëd at Â裲°Ì school I ÀßΩ¤¹¤ë it hard to abandon this make-believe world of happy families.

Learning that?Jools Oliver (pictured), wife of chef Jamie (right), was pregnant with her fifth child, Emily?felt a 'surge of hope, and more than a smidgen of jealousy'

Learning that?Jools Oliver (pictured), wife of chef Jamie (¸¢Íø), was Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë with her fifth child, Emily?felt a '»¦Åþ¤¹¤ë of hope, and more than a smidgen of jealousy'

It was only a ¶²¤ì¤ë of ¸ºß ÀßΩ¤¹¤ë out and ¤¤¤¸¤á¡Ê¤ë¡Ëd that made me Êü´þ¤¹¤ë my dolls, and by then I was almost old enough to baby-sit for my parents¡Ç friends and ÎÙ¿Ís¡Ç children, which I did for four years from the age of 14. I¡Çd happily Ë×¼ý¤µ¤ì¤ë nights out with my friends to soothe ÍÄ»ù brows and cradle newborns in my Éð´ï.

I first met Tim when I was 12 ¡½ he was friends with my best friend¡Çs mum and dad ¡½ but as Tim was 27, there was no hint of romance between us. I did find him terribly handsome, though, and thought of him many times during my teenage years.

We didn¡Çt become romantically ȼ¤¦¡¿´Ø¤ï¤ëd until 2004, when I was 28. I¡Çd had a ´Ê·é¤Ê¡¿Í×Ì󤹤ë marriage in my Áá´ü¤Ë 20s, and after that ended a Áê¸ß¤Î friend introduced us again.

Tim had always been a bit of a teen Ä𵤹¤ë, so when he became my boyfriend it felt thrilling to be going out with my heartthrob.

After three months we knew we ¼êÇÛÃæ¤Î¡¤¤ª¿Ò¤Í¼Ô to make a ¤«¤«¤ï¤ê¹ç¤¤ to each other, and when the time ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à to tell my parents, to my delight Tim said: ¡ÆYou¡Çd better say you¡Çre going to have my babies then.¡Ç My heart did a little somersault of joy.

A ¤½¤Î¾å¤Î six months on we were married, and by then I was already Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë with Henry. When my eight-week ¤¶¤Ã¤ÈÌܤòÄ̤¹ showed the ºÝΩ¤Ã¤¿ ÎسԡʤòÉÁ¤¯¡Ë of a tiny form growing inside me, I almost burst with happiness.

Aside from five months of morning sickness, a small price to »Ùʧ¤¦¡¿Ä¶â for a joyous ·ë²Ì, the pregnancy was pretty plain-sailing. Henry was born in May 2005 and I fell in love with him ¨»þ¤Ë.

¸½¼Â¤Ë, although I¡Çd always ¼êÇÛÃæ¤Î¡¤¤ª¿Ò¤Í¼Ô a large brood of children, for a while I didn¡Çt think I could ever love another child as much as him, so we contented ourselves with our one son on whom we lavished all our affection.

Then, almost three years on, I knew I didn¡Çt want him to be an only child, and Tim agreed. So once again, within a couple of months of making our ·èÄ꡿ȽÄ꾡¤Á¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë, I was fortunate enough to be Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë. To our joy, Caleb arrived in November 2008 and for a while it seemed our family was ´°Á´¤Ë¤¹¤ë.

But in two years I started to get broody again. Now 34, it was as if a switch had been flicked in my mind: the minute Caleb became a toddler and started to be ¤¤¤Ã¤½¤¦¾¯¤Ê¤¯ ÉÞÍܲȲ on me, the yearning for another baby kicked in.

Tana Ramsay, 41, (front right), wife of chef Gordon, was also pregnant with her fifth child. Pictured with her brood at Venice Beach

Tana Ramsay, 41, (Á°Àþ ¸¢Íø), wife of chef Gordon, was also Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë with her fifth child. Pictured with her brood at Venice Beach

This time I had to ÀâÆÀ¤¹¤ë Tim that we should try for another, and ·ë¶É he relented, knowing that once a newborn ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à along we¡Çd love it ̵¾ò·ï¤Ë as we did our boys.

But this time °ìÏ¢¤Î²ñµÄ¡¢¸ò¾Ä¡¿´°À®¤¹¤ë I miscarried at six weeks. I suppose I Ãߤ¨¤ë¡¿Å¹d away the grief for this baby that never was, because within four months I was Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë again and sadness was ¼è¤Ã¤ÆÂå¤ï¤ëd by the elation of knowing that I was going to have twins.

When the ¤¶¤Ã¤ÈÌܤòÄ̤¹ ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d they were girls, both Tim and I felt blessed that we would have the perfect family.

And then when in September 2011 Maisy was born, ®¤¯ followed by Essie, I revelled in new motherhood all over again. Even though the first two years passed in an exhausting blur of nappy changing and feeding, I relished it.

But at this point the carping, ´³¾Ä¤¹¤ëing comments began.¡ÆDon¡Çt you think Tim needs the snip now?¡Ç asked one friend. Another wondered if I¡Çd sorted a more efficient form of birth »ÙÇۡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÅýÀ©¤¹¤ë.

I resented the ´³¾Ä¡¤Ë¸³²; also the suggestion that our four babies had not been planned. How dare people °·¤¦¡¿¼£ÎŤ¹¤ë me like a feckless ½½Âå¤Î¾¯Ç¯¾¯½÷ who had ¤Ä¤Þ¤º¤¯d into parenthood by »ö¸Î?

U nlike so many moth ers, I felt blessed to be raising my children ½½Ê¬¤Ê-time ¡½ I¡Çd been happy to Êü´þ¤¹¤ë my ¿¦¶È as an office ¹ÔÀ¯´±¡¿´ÉÍý¼Ô to become a mum ¡½ and I didn¡Çt need lectures on how many offspring I was ¤¹¤ë¸¢Íø¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ëd to.

For a couple of years after our twins were born I thought our family was ´°Á´¤Ë¤¹¤ë. But once again, as soon as they started to become ¤¤¤Ã¤½¤¦¾¯¤Ê¤¯ ÉÞÍܲȲ the yearning ¹¶·â¤¹¤ë¡¤¾×Æͤ¹¤ë me like a physical blow. I just had to try for a fifth baby.

As if on cue, I ÀßΩ¤¹¤ë myself Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë again and Tim, delighted by our happy surprise, started reading about how to Âн褹¤ë with fatherhood on an epic µ¬ÌÏ.

But then our dreams were Ê´¡¹¤Ë¤¹¤ëd. At six weeks I was in terrible ¶ìÄË and I knew my pregnancy was in trouble.

It was four days before hospital doctors ¿ÇÃǤ¹¤ëd an ectopic pregnancy ¡½ the foetus was growing in one of my fallopian tubes ¡½ and I had to be given a ËãÌô to ½ª·ë¤µ¤»¤ë the pregnancy °ÂÁ´¤Ë.

Afterwards I felt ill and exhausted. My Ìȱ֤Πsystem was »È¤¤²Ì¤¿¤¹d and I seemed to catch every bug imaginable. ƱÍÍ¤Ë as the physical ¡Ê»à½ý¼Ô¡Ë¿ô the ectopic pregnancy took on me, I ò¤¯¡¿Åé¤àd my lost baby grievously.

Friends tried to console me by telling me: ¡ÆAt least you¡Çve got four children. Some people can¡Çt have kids¡Ç ¡½ and their insensitivity made me angry. It was like Àâ to someone who¡Çd just lost their grandmother: ¡Æ°æ¸Í¡¿ÊÛ¸î»ÎÀÊ at least you¡Çve still got your grandad.¡Ç

After Emily miscarried her fifth child she 'began to yearn for another baby with such awful intensity it consumed all my waking thoughts'. She became pregnant again in April 2014 but miscarried at seven weeks, and suffered another miscarriage in January the following year, losing the baby at six weeks (Stock photo)

After Emily miscarried her fifth child she 'began to yearn for another baby with such awful intensity it ¾ÃÈñ¤¹¤ëd all my waking thoughts'. She became Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë again in April 2014 but miscarried at seven weeks, and ¶ì¤·¤àd another miscarriage in January the ¤Ë°ú¤­Â³¤¤¤Æ year, losing the baby at six weeks (ºß¸Ë¡¿³ô photo)

Of course, I knew I was lucky to have my children, but shouldn¡Çt I be µö¤¹d to feel Èᤷ¤ß for the one I¡Çd lost? And my grief was also ¡Ä¤òȼ¤Ã¤Æd by longing: I began to yearn for another baby with such awful intensity it ¾ÃÈñ¤¹¤ëd all my waking thoughts.

So I became ǼÆÀ¤µ¤»¤ëd ¡½ as I still am today ¡½ that the only way to assuage my loss was by having a fifth child. I became Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë again in April 2014 but miscarried at seven weeks. A friend phoned me and said: ¡ÆIf you went on the Pill this wouldn¡Çt keep happening.¡Ç I was left speechless by her insensitivity.

Then I ¶ì¤·¤àd another miscarriage in January the ¤Ë°ú¤­Â³¤¤¤Æ year, losing the baby at six weeks. This time, other than Tim, Mum was the only one who knew.

I felt I couldn¡Çt ÂѤ¨¤ë the misguided »î¤ß¤ë¡¿´ë¤Æ¤ës to console me, the ¡Æ°æ¸Í¡¿ÊÛ¸î»ÎÀÊ you¡Çve already got a lovely family¡Ç followed by the solicitous, ¡Æbesides, should you really be putting yourself through all this again?¡Ç

And every time I was laid low, my 65-year-old mum, who lives ¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë to us in Blackburn, Lancashire, stepped in to help look after the children.

Knowing how much I longed to have another baby, she never reproached me for keeping on trying ¡½ any more than Tim did. Finally, almost Àµ³Î¤Ë¡¿¤Þ¤µ¤Ë a year ago I discovered I was Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë again and for a few ´Ê·é¤Ê¡¿Í×Ì󤹤ë weeks my spirits began to ²ò½ü¤¹¤ë. I was ¤ò¼õ¤±¤ëing Àµµ¬¤Î¡¿ÀµÁª¼ê hospital checks because the fact that I¡Çd had one ectopic pregnancy Áý²Ã¤¹¤ëd the chance of my having another.

Then, six weeks into my pregnancy, I started to feel a niggling ¶ìÄË. My worst ¶²¤ì¤ës were realised: doctors discovered that once again, the foetus was growing in one of my fallopian tubes.

This time, however, my health was in serious jeopardy because the tube had ·èÎöd and had to be ½üµî¤¹¤ëd as I was bleeding internally. It was harrowing: a ¤¶¤Ã¤ÈÌܤòÄ̤¹ ÌÀ³Î¤Ë ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d the foetus. As I was wheeled into the operating theatre the thought struck me that I could die. Mercifully, the doctors ¹Ô°Ù¡¿Ë¡Îá¡¿¹ÔÆ°¤¹¤ëd just in time. My life was spared, but of course I lost my baby and this time, one of my fallopian tubes, too.

< div class="image-wrap"> Then almost a year ago Emily realised she was pregnant again but was told by doctors six weeks into the pregnancy the baby was growing in her fallopian tubes. This time the tube had ruptured and had to be removed due to internal bleeding, so Emma lost her baby and one of her tubes (Stock photo)

Then almost a year ago Emily realised she was Ç¥¿±¤·¤Æ¤¤¤ë again but was told by doctors six weeks into the pregnancy the baby was growing in her fallopian tubes. This time the tube had ·èÎöd and had to be ½üµî¤¹¤ëd ͽÄê to ÆâÉô¤Î bleeding, so Emma lost her baby and one of her tubes (ºß¸Ë¡¿³ô photo)

For the past year I have felt utterly bereft; not only for this child, but also for the four others who were never born. I know when their birthdays would have been and I ¼¨¤¹ them all, ò¤¯¡¿Åé¤àing each of them.

¸½¼Â¤Ë, I feel so ¾ÃÈñ¤¹¤ëd by my loss that I joined a group on a social ÌÖ¾õÁÈ¿¥ing ¾ì½ê¡¿°ÌÃÖ for women who have lost babies through ectopic pregnancies. I was desperate to find someone who would empathise, who would say: ¡ ÆI know just how you feel.¡Ç

And ¸½¼Â¤Ë I thought, for a while, I had ÀßΩ¤¹¤ë her. I got a message from a Ʊ¾ðŪ¤Ê woman who told me I sounded as if I had ¶ì¤·¤àd Àµ³Î¤Ë¡¿¤Þ¤µ¤Ë as she had done. ¡ÆI¡Çm 41,¡Ç she told me, ¡Æand I¡Çve lost a fallopian tube through an ectopic pregnancy and have been unable to have children.¡Ç

ÌÀ³Î¤Ë her heart was broken. I wrote »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë Àâ how sorry I was to hear about her loss. Then I told her I had four children but had lost two more from ectopic pregnancies. I never heard from her again.

I know what she must be thinking: ¡ÆHow dare she ¿äÄꤹ¤ë to think she is ¶ì¤·¤àing as I do. She already has four children.¡Ç

But she¡Çs wrong. I do grieve and the ½ý¤Ä¤±¤ë is like a raw Éé½ý¤µ¤»¤ë that will not ½ý¤ò¤¤¤ä¤¹¡¿Ï²ò¤µ¤»¤ë.

Am I not ¤¹¤ë¸¢Íø¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ëd to ò¤¯¡¿Åé¤à the babies I lost because I¡Çve been lucky enough to have four who have lived and are ±É¤¨¤ëing? It seems I am not. The world believes I have been ½½Ê¬¤Ë blessed and I should move on and forget.

But I ¡¼¤¹¤ë¤Ä¤â¤ê¤Ç¤¢¤ë to carry on trying to have a baby, and although the chances are small, I still hope to ¸å·Ñ¤¹¤ë. I have no °Õ¸þ of capitulating just because I am ÈóÆñd for selfishness. I cannot end my childbearing years in Èᤷ¤ß and ²ù¤¤¤ë.

I yearn to have the fifth baby and I¡Çm sure if I do the ache in my heart will abate. But until I do, whatever anyone thinks and however much ¶ì¤·¤àing I ÂѤ¨¤ë, I never ¡¼¤¹¤ë¤Ä¤â¤ê¤Ç¤¢¤ë to give up.

Did you ´í¸± everything to have a big family? Tell us your story at?femailreaders@dailymail .co.uk?

A ¸«²ò¡¿ËÝÌõ¡¿ÈÇ of this article, part of the Femail Classic series, was ½é¤á¤Ï published in the Mail on May 16, 2016.?

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