Would you have had another child?

Had 2 would have had another 2 if money were no object - as in enough to afford a housekeeper, cleaner and good holidays.

Nope, you couldn’t pay me to have another.

I hated pregnancy and births were shit so nope, no more for me no matter what

We have one.
We (especially I) wanted two, but had multiple miscarriages.

If I had more time, more money, more energy, a bigger house, better health/genetics i would've had a minibus full.

But if ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas...

I always wanted a big family, but I didn't have my first until 35, second at 38. Wish I had had them in my 20s, but I wasn't financially stable enough. I had complications during both my pregnancies and the risk of dying during a third pregnancy is all too real. Now in my 40s and I know I wont have any more.

I have one. I was very lucky to have one. I've loved it all but it's horrible having to work full-time when you want to spend time with your baby/child.

It must be wonderful to have enough money not to have to work. The only way I'd have been able to have more children was to win the lottery.

If I was rich I'd have a houseful of kids.

Totally this

I would have loved one more but we realised we needed to prioritise ND child's education. He needed something different and we knew we'd have to pay for it. No regrets.

Absolutely not. 2 is more than enough!
In some ways I do see that 1 would have been enough.

Exactly what I did. My Nana said "you can stop now, you've been blessed!"

That did occur to me! Those little hooves...

Nope nothing would change my mind. World peace maybe… but otherwise no thanks.

I have 2 with my DP but also have 2 step children who live with us full time. If DP didn't have children from a previous relationship then I would have liked to have at least one more but 4 between us is more than enough is all respects.

Would have a shed load more if I won the lotto and could buy in cleaners, nannies to support, gardeners, personal trainers, cooks you name it.

Just have DS. To have another I'd have needed an easier pregnancy, to not have found labour and birth traumatic and then not to have had health problems a couple of years later that meant pregnancy was inadvisable until after surgery.

I'm ok with it - I feel sad sometimes, but DS is autistic and having another, younger, child would have made things more difficult.

Totally agree. I get more me time too when DD is off on trips and sports camps.

This!

I wouldn't want to go through pregnancy and birth again. I'm 35 nearly and I have a boy and a girl. I've been quite happy to stop at 2.
Strangely I really wanted a third after I had my 2nd, but I think it was the hormones because it soon wore off.

2 is manageable for me, 3 wouldn't be. I'd also probably have to quit work with 3 or get a nanny. I feel 2 is very managable

We have 1. We didn’t plan on having any and so DS (2.5yrs) was a surprise (to put it lightly). Physically pregnancy was fine but I was very unwell with my mental health and I haven’t been right since. So I was even more surprised when I realised I wanted another once we had him! I’d love for him to have a sibling. However, finances, house size and no support nearby are key deciding factors in not having any more.

All our family live 3 hours away and our group of friends have all moved 1-2 hours away over the past year. We have no one to call on in an emergency except each other - no emergency contact at DS nursery as they insist it has to be someone local and there literally isn’t anyone, not even a neighbour. I constantly feel like I have to choose between my job (which we need for money and can’t afford to give up) or my son. I choose my son of course but then am stressed to hell about what I’ve left at work and what’s not getting done because I can’t work late and have gone to pick DS up and then it’s into teatime, bath and bed (and I’m in bed not long after!). I’m constantly feeling guilt because I get 2 hours a day with my toddler and he’s in nursery more than he’s with us. He’s also got more difficult as he’s got older (just a typical toddler) but my only time spent with him during the week is filled with tears and tantrums and timeouts. It’s mentally draining. I’d love to work part time and have quality time with him, but what we’d save on nursery fees is less than half of what I’d lose salary-wise so financially isn’t doable.

I think if we had support nearby - or a bigger house so family could come and stay more often - I’d reconsider. Family have all said if they were closer they’d have DS more to help us. But ultimately they don’t and that has decided it for me. DH would have another tomorrow. He’s a very hands on Dad so no criticisms there, but he has a demanding job and that means he works long hours and is constantly on call even on weekends. He doesn’t see the issues I see and hence why a lot of stuff and worries fall on me.

Yes - If I was younger (I had DC1 at 40 and DC2 at 44) and we had a spare bedroom I would have loved a third. I feel it would be too risky at my age to have another now, and two DC would have to share a room which wouldn't be fair.

I wish I had had children younger but never met anyone to have children with until I was 38.

Bigger house.
Better family childcare options.

I have 2, I would have loved 3.

Finances no issue but decided against another for various reasons.

We have three but will shortly be trying for number 4. I'd probably quite happily have 5, but we'll need a bigger family tent (and house, in time).

Have one, would have liked three in an ideal world but it wasn't to be.

Met DH late, had DC1 at 38. We could have cracked on and had another DC but in the short window of time we had after DC arrived we were hit by a whirlwind of adverse life events.... A bereavement, massive MH problems and a cancer scare for DH, in-law issues of a pretty serious and destructive nature and a whole bucket of other things I won't go into. I just couldn't face bringing a newborn into all that. It didn't feel right. Sometimes it REALLY isn't the right time for a baby.

DC didn't sleep through until he was 2 and is objectively just not a very easy kid, although he is the light of my life and I thoroughly enjoy motherhood. I'm early 40s and now it's probably too late. I think in an ideal world we are a family that would have done really well with a 4 or 5 year age gap between kids to let the dust settle, even though I know it's not the done thing and people frown on it here. But nature just didn't give me time.

I'm in a grief/bargaining phase about my family size at the moment and going through periods of guilt and intense self loathing about the whole thing. but I'm sure it's possible to come out the other side with a mind-shift, and time...

Trying to look for silver linings!

I’m planning on only one, probably trying in the next year. To the point I would probably abort twins and try again (assuming it doesn’t take years and an absolute miracle for the pregnancy). It is purely about money and would have two if childcare was free, but as is I’ll already have to go back to work and baby into 8-6pm nursery five days a week at twenty weeks old.

Wasn't sure I wanted DC at all, then would have been happy with one but we had two and I'm glad. But 100% wouldn't have had a third regardless of money, house etc.

lol have you looked outside these days? - I wouldn't have a first one!