Additional Coverage:
- I’m happy we waited until our 40s to have kids. When we were younger, my husband was gone half the year for the Navy. (businessinsider.com)
A Navy Wife’s Journey to Motherhood: A Story of Patience, Resilience, and Love
Kristina Wright, a Navy wife, shares her emotional journey to motherhood. Marrying a sailor meant frequent moves and long separations, but the biggest question was when and if to have children.
Two early miscarriages, one while her husband was on shore duty, made her yearn for a stable family life. However, returning to sea duty meant months apart, communicating through emails about illnesses, pet troubles, and broken appliances.
The thought of solo parenting during deployments solidified their decision to postpone parenthood.
For nearly two decades, they built a life together, navigating deployments, hurricanes, and personal losses. Wright learned self-sufficiency while remaining deeply in love with her often-absent husband.
At 40, her biological clock spurred them to try again, but a third miscarriage was devastating. With renewed determination, she found a supportive doctor and became pregnant again, this time with her husband home.
However, in her last trimester, he was deployed for eight months. He returned the day before the delivery, staying for two short weeks before leaving again two days before Christmas.
Wright faced new motherhood alone, like many military spouses. When her husband finally returned, their son was five months old.
The arrival of their second son brought a different experience. Her husband was present for the birth and, although still serving, was rarely gone for extended periods. During his last year, he balanced his military career, family, and a teaching program, a demanding schedule they managed together.
A decade into civilian life, their teenage sons barely remember their father’s Navy years. He’s simply “Papa,” the homework helper and school driver. This is the life Wright always envisioned.
While grateful for their Navy life, she cherishes their current stability: a life without constant goodbyes, a life where her husband is present for their children’s milestones, a life where Christmas isn’t a question mark.