To ask why you have just one child?

Oh it was very necessary. The left ovary was buggered after the cyst grew unnoticed by me to 19lbs so that went in 2012. I then struggled with the right one, three times I had a cyst of over 10cm pop up and had cystectomies for those and the third time they were concerned that it was cancer (it wasn't, I was fine) but it was that mangled from the cysts that it needed removing too.

I was fortunate to be able to get two embryos from it before they removed it in 2019 so yeah have been on HRT since then. Very unfortunate and unfair and was hard work managing being early thirties, breastfeeding and dealing with HRT but she weaned six months ago so can focus on getting my dose working for me right.

Infertility led us to adopt our wonderful boy.

We have such a lovely little life. Adopting again would be a huge upheaval for our whole family and we couldn’t put our son through that.

I always wanted 2 or 3 children and it hasn’t been easy for me to accept but, wow, do I feel lucky to be called ‘Mummy’ by my one and only!

Currently pregnant with our first and only child. We did want two, but I’ve had such a shit pregnancy that I just can’t put my physical and mental health through the wringer a second time, and DP agrees he doesn’t want me to ever suffer like this again.

Because my second and third babies died at birth. Plus a couple of miscarriages. Can't bring myself to try again.

We are incredibly fortunate to have the one we have.

Wrong thread?
(If it was meant to be a joke then nursery would've worked better than garden centre)

Primarily because the second pregnancy didn’t work out (ectopic) and after that we concluded, on reflection, that we were too old (very late 30s and early 40s) to have another go.

I had a very high risk pregnancy, with conditions likely to occur in subsequent pregnancies. After my son was born, I didn't think it would be fair to him get pregnant again.

secondary infertility and failed ivf. Was intermittently very sad for a long time but I have a wonderful DC and am very lucky to be a mother.

Horrific pregnancy
Worse labour, my mum told me a long time after that when she came to visit in hospital I loved shell shocked. I genuinely thought towards the end that I was going to die and never met my baby. I lost a lot of blood.

Also we have a good income and could afford a second, but having one gives us more financial freedom to offer ds the opportunities we want to and still maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

DH is a happy only, I have a brother who I have no issue with, but we're not massively close and as my parents get older he is of no help whatsoever, and I saw similar with my mum, and her FIVE siblings when my gran was unwell/died, she was running herself ragged and they were either no help or making things worse squabbling.

My son, with my first husband, died at 3 weeks old. My surviving son, with my second husband, was born 12 years later, after fertility treatment.
So, like others who have posted on this thread, I feel blessed to have the child I have.

We just never had the urge to have a second one. We were quite late to having a child anyway. One felt enough, made us feel as a complete family. I always tell her “there’s nothing “only” about you!”

I didn't want anymore, not everyone wants more than one. Having one is very easy, for going out, childcare, holidays, space in house, cost, need I go on.

I can’t really give finer details as the situation was quite nuanced but the decision was taken from me for a multitude of reasons. However the main one, of course, was becoming a lone parent (not through choice I might add, despite what judgmental people seem to believe about single parents) plus I have health issues. Looking back, I definitely couldn't have coped with another.

It was the last one at the garden centre and was heavily discounted. They said they wouldn't be getting any more as they were going to concentrate on lawn care products.

Anyway, as a sort of tribute, we've called this one Grassmere.

Because my DC’s dad and I split and I didn’t want another enough to compromise on anything else in order to have more

I see a gynaecologist who seems to opt for cystectomies (unless he had a worry about the cyst obviously), I think it's a pity/not right that they removed them.

(Presuming there were no serious concerns).

Also, I take it you had to take HRT too, whereas you wouldn't have had to if they'd left at least one.

Always wanted two.

Had horrendous morning sickness that nobody would listen to me about - started feeling nauseous before I was due to test and it escalated from there and didn't stop until gone 20 weeks. I went from size 12-14 to a size 10.

Developed pre-eclampsia and was induced. Found the whole thing traumatic, spent a year regularly reliving the whole labour and birth.

Was told in no uncertain terms (by three hcp's in two different health board areas) that I would not be allowed to choose a caesarian over induction if intervention were needed in a future pregnancy.

Then when I was considering the possibility anyway, I developed a health condition where I was strongly advised against pregnancy as an operation would have been necessary.

So second DC never happened. Probably for the best as DS is autistic, we've had difficult times with violent meltdowns and EBSA, things would have been even more of a struggle with another child to look after.

It does make me a little sad sometimes. I'd have loved two.

We only have 1 because it is so blooming awesome. Such a different experience to what friends with multiple kids seem to have, he slotted into our life so easily and we have so much fun as don’t have to work around multiple kids and their interests. Life is so much easier and our energy and money is just on one child and no worries about making anything fair. Currently at a festival having the most amazing time and it is so easy. The experiences we can give him because he is the our only are incredible and he absolutely loves being an only too.

On one level, because ex’D’H had an affair and we split up when DD was still a baby. On another, I didn’t really enjoy the baby phase so I’m not sure if I’d have been up for more anyway.

I struggled with infertility and loss, but even beyond that, I always wanted one. Our income is way above average, but we want to offer him a good, happy, exciting life with adventures and knowledge.

Never had an interest in another. I love my daughter so much. Plus, didn’t think I wanted to spend the next ten or so years being a referee. Our home life is literally blissful.

Because my labour was horrific.
Because the newborn tiredness gave me pnd.
Because it's a calm household.
Because we have more money to spend on one than we would multiple.

Similar to this.

My h was only willing to try for a second child if we coped well.

We didn't cope well.

I would still have tried, but he absolutely refused to within the short ish window available.

We were also close to sexless before the pregnancy, and became sexless after so ..