Persuade me

[roseability]

Before I had DS, I wanted 4 kids. My DH is one of four and was very happy growing up in a large family. I am an only one and my mother thinks you should only have 2!

I found the birth of my DS very hard and had PND. I came through it though and now find it a lot easier and love being a mum. I am pregnant with number 2 and delighted (although nauseous and tired!)

It is premature to be posting on the large familys thread but I suppose I wanted to know if you always set out to have a large family? Did you find your first hard and subsequent ones easier? How do you deal with negative reactions? Can you cope with a large family in a smallish house?

Do tell me to bog off if I am being nosey but I still want hope that I can have the large family I always dreamed of.

Would like to finish by saying hats off to you all and well done for bucking the trend of 2.4 kids!

[roseability]

gosh Ruby!

How do you find being mum of 4?

[KatieDD]

I'm hoping for 4, it's hard work with three but such fun and they are all wonderful characters.
I am worried about the financial side though, I was happy to make some cut backs for number 4 but with the dreaded credit crunch I'm going to have to make those anyway so am wondering if a 4th is a step too far.

[catweazle]

I hated being the eldest of 2 so we planned 3 from the beginning. The youngest 2 were a pleasant surprise

The birth of the first was far worse than I expected and she was a grizzly baby and a strong willed toddler and child. The others were considerably easier.

We had a small 3 bed house until they were 11, 10, 8 and 6, and a slightly larger 3 bed house since then.

My mum decided 2 was all we needed and was very anti the 3rd and 4th (but thrilled to bits with the 5th after a 15 year gap )

[sorkycake]

See how you feel after no.2 arrives because going from 1 to 2 was the hardest step for us. You migh think that's enough for you.
Throwing no.3 at the situation didn't make much of a difference and hopefully flinging no.4 into the breech won't raise an eyebrow.

Mine are 6,4, nearly 2 and due in 12 weeks or so.

I always loved the idea of 4, Dh wanted 2, we both are the eldest of 3.

[crkm]

I have 4dc - 15, 7, 5, 3. Dh had the snip because it would be too easy to go on having babies. had to move house for number 4 and get a bigger car! feel sad when see tiny babies as i konow i cant have another of my own. guess i have to wait to be a granny - but as am only 35 that had better not be any time soon!! DD take note!!

[scorpio1]

I have 3, and am ttc #4. I always wanted 4, for as long as i can remember, DH took some persuading to have 3, but 'asked' me for 4!

4 will be our lot - i expect DH will get the snip.

[dsrplus8]

i cried when my dh had snip, and ive got 8(5 birth 3 step)strange when id agreed about it. suddenly clicked no more babies ,me to looking forward to being granma(im 32)very glad to know im not the only one who felt like this,means in not nutty after all .

[maximum4]

4 is great!

Hard work at times but all good fun! We are fortunate to have enough space - each has their own bedroom, but the eldest 2 choose to share a bedroom!

I was sterilised after number 4, as was 39 years and felt that our family was complete. DH wouldn't have the snip (It got me a trip to NY for my 40th but there's another story!!). He would have loved more and at the time I didn't - however, I wish now I had waited as I think I would have liked to have had one more! I feel really broody at times and quite sad that that is the end of babies in our house!

But on a positive note life is getting easier my youngest is 3 and my eldest 9 yrs. We get a good nights sleep and it is so much easier without a pushchair, potty etc ... The children are good fun and generally play well together - the occasional spat - usually sorted without bloodshed!

[SilentTerror]

Agree,4 is great.
I always wanted 4 but have big gaps between them all,eldest 19,youngest 3.
Am one of two myself and always thought 2 so dull and ordinary that I had to have more.
Plus,I always loved 'The Waltons'....