How Many Children Would You Have...

I have always wanted 4 but we stopped at 2 as we have chosen the private route for school.

We initially hoped for three children but due to being thirty-three when I met my husband then having infertility and needing three rounds of IVF we will almost definitely stick to two (and be incredibly grateful for what we have). I’m due to give birth to the second next month and we still have some frozen embryos so in theory we could try again for a third child.

I’m not really concerned about any of the things listed in the OP, my reasons for not wanting to have another include; my age (and needing realistically to leave another smallish age gap as I’m already in my forties), the age and likely future support needs of my parents, my capacity to look after an another child (especially if any turn out to have additional needs), additional risks of pregnancy and birth at an older age/ wanting to focus on my health so I have the best chance to live long enough to support the children in adulthood and wanting to get back to work before my previous career experience becomes completely irrelevant (currently a SAHP) so I could support us financially if anything happened to my husband.

We live in a cheaper house than we could have afforded, drive older cars, don’t go on holiday much and buy most of our clothes/ toys secondhand, none of which bothers me. My social life is a bit limited but I’ve made some new friends through baby/toddler activities and everyone’s in the same boat at the moment. Most of the people I know who are sticking with one child are doing so either because of fertility issues or their/ partner’s age - in some cases the ages could be linked to wanting to be financially secure before having children but I think most of them it’s because they didn’t meet their partner until they were older.

2 - I don't want any more. Life is too hard as it is.

I'm nearly 64 and never had kids.
I've had the time of my life and regret nothing.

If I had the money/husband then 6-7

I would have liked another it’s nothing to do with money for me. I didn’t think I could have them after having a huge cyst removal and then other health problems relating to said surgery. I lost one then my DS came along and it was such a bad experience I just can’t go through that now at my age. I’m happy I have my baby who is thriving 💙

This ^

I’ve got 2 hands so I’ve got 2 children - I was an only child myself and although I had a lovely childhood I have had periods of wishing that I had a sibling as once I lose my parents I will feel very alone. And yes I appreciate that if I did have a sibling we might not get on and whatever but even so, occasionally I wonder what it would have been like. So I had 2 children.

I would have liked four. Good job I didn't as health has taken a dive and I make bendy autistic kids.

Realistically I would have had 3 doing exams this summer if so plus 5 more years of school.

I’d have 3 but I think I’m getting a bit old now given that I don’t want them very close together.

I lucked out. I wanted two DDs, 18 months apart … and I was blessed with just that … give or take nine days 😂 I wouldn’t change it for the world!

We have 2, I think without any external factors to consider we'd have liked 4. We're in a pretty good position now and could probably afford more but it's taken us long enough to get here so now I'm 39 and DH is 46 and he is pretty adamant he's too old which is fair enough.

Have 1 and only want 1. The noise, omg the noise. Nope. One and done!

I have two, which I’m very happy with, but if no money or time worries I’d probably have been tempted with a 3rd, as would DH.

One which is what I have now.

We planned to have 3. Eldest is autistic. We could not have coped with 3 autistic children.

Just the one. No way I was ever doing that again.

I have an only, and it's definitely due to finance. I think I'd have had 3 in a perfect world

I have 2.
If there was nothing stopping me having as many as I wanted I would have about 12 of them.

When I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s , my best friend was the second youngest of 12. They lived in a 3 story , 4 bedroom council house which was in a row of about 20 houses, and all the families had between 6 and 12 children .
I was the middle child of 3 and the only girl , we lived in a 3 bedroom council house which.
My husband lived on the same estate and was 2nd oldest of 6 children, so large families were the norm probably because the birth control pill hadn’t been invented then😂

5
pref 3 girls & 2 boys.
wish now I’d frozen eggs/embryos when younger!

I've got 1 and I would have loved more if I had a supportive partner and maybe didn't have to work.

As it happens my ex left me when I was pregnant and support in any way. But I'd love more with a fantasy loving supportive partner however I'm late 30s and struggling to find time to date.

3/4

I always wanted three and I had three.