Many married couples can understand the question of when they plan to have children, but for Charli Worgan and her husband Cullen, they frequently faced the question of ‘why’.

The parents from Sydney each have a unique form of dwarfism and often find themselves under public scrutiny, particularly when Charli announced her pregnancy with their first child.

After welcoming their first daughter, the thrilled Aussie mom chose to create a social media account to share insights about their family life – little did she anticipate the level of popularity her account would achieve.

Now, the couple is blessed with two lovely daughters, and Charli’s Instagram has amassed over 300,000 followers.

Recently, Charli shared the news that she is 14 weeks pregnant with her third child, but the announcement came with mixed emotions.

With each pregnancy, Charli has had to face the challenges of painful genetic testing. Due to Charli and Cullen’s genetic conditions, their children might inherit one type of dwarfism (either from their mom or dad), be of average height, or potentially inherit both types of dwarfism, which doctors warn could be fatal.

Charli expressed the sorrow of not being able to experience the typical joy that comes with reaching the 12-week mark in pregnancy like many other mothers do.

“While most are celebrating the joy of announcing their pregnancy at 12 weeks, I was preparing for Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS – akin to an Amniocentesis) – a procedure involving a large needle through my abdomen to collect a placenta sample, which carries a 2% risk of miscarriage, to analyze my baby’s genetic makeup.”

Their daughters, two-year-old Tully and four-year-old Tilba, have one of the two types of dwarfism, so when Charli became pregnant with her third child, they were anxious to discover which of the four potential outcomes awaited them.

Charli elaborated on this in her Instagram post.

1. Our baby would be of average height.
2. Our child would have Achondroplasia, the same type of Dwarfism that I have.
3. Our child would have Geleophysic Dysplasia, the same type of Dwarfism as Cullen.
4. Our child would inherit both genetic traits, known as “double dominant dwarfism,” which, according to all professional medical assessments, would be fatal at birth. I would have had the option, should this happen, to proceed and see how things unfold, or to end the pregnancy.

Charli mentioned that the reality of their situation is that she was waiting to learn: “If I can welcome this little one into the world by March 2021, or if his or her journey ends here.”

By sharing her life so openly, she has faced a lot of criticism, which she also addresses in her post.

“I’ve faced criticism for deciding to have children with these odds, and that’s a whole discussion on its own. However, by sharing this small part of the puzzle, those who doubt can understand that bringing a child into this world with my circumstances is not an easy choice, and it’s all about being kind ?

Currently, the couple has three wonderful children who are all flourishing, and the family continues to navigate their highs and lows.

Her baby boy, Rip, arrived at the end of February, and she shared a post featuring a photo of herself with her newborn, along with some insightful words for all parents.

“I’m exhausted, but I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate. There’s no ‘right’ way to approach motherhood, but I’m certain there’s no ‘wrong’ way either.”

In the end, Charli demonstrates that her parenting journey is just like that of many others; countless parents can identify with the challenges and joys of welcoming children into their lives.

Her posts inspire everyone, and I wish this family all the health and joy as they embark on their journey together. Please share.