What is the ideal number of children? What was your main deciding factor in having a third?!

[EyesOfBlue]

AIBU to ask this?

Totally unscientific of course! I just wondered what people perceive to be as the ideal number of children to have!

I've one of each, boy and girl, but keep thinking I'd love just one more!

Does the desire to experience pregnancy and newborn stage again fade over time. My children are aged 2 and 4!

Sensible part of me says that two children is lefty especially as they get older and more activities, school etc to contend with. can't bear to part with my buggy

Sorry for the ramble!

I loved having babies not the actual pregnancy/giving birth bit but I loved everything else. I didn't mind the sleepless nights or the endless nappies - I really loved it all, being a mum is the only thing I ever wanted in life. We had 3. I would have carried on and had lots more but I was seriously ill after DD3 was born and then 12 months later early menopause @ 37 put paid to that idea for good

In a way our DC's are at that nice age and the thought of doing the baby stage again, just no thanks. But for DH and myself we can't conceive naturally, it nearly broke us both times, so I don't think we'd seek a third for those reasons. I was a monster on IVF drugs. Well not a monster but your moods are everywhere, I'd cry at the news, then be seething if Ocado replaced any of my items

So, so relieved that so many posters here say that the jump from 2-3 is a big one. Everyone said that number 3 would just slot right in. By heck I haven't found it to be that way. Number 3 has nearly felled me! There is no way I would contemplate any more children and I found 1-2 fairly easy! DISCLAIMER-Our number 3 is a complete bloody handful.

I always wanted 2 DCS. Had 1 DS. Got pregnant again when he was 20mo. Ended up with DTs.

I always jokingly warn family members who say they'd like another one that you can't guarantee it'll be just 1!

I have 5, the first 3 in 3 years
I love my big brood, once you're past 2 it's easier.

We have six and wouldn't have any more, largely because if we had another boy (all boys so far) I couldn't cope with all the 'ohhhhh, that's such a shaaaaame!!' that we've had for the last four! I love my boys and none has been a disappointment to me or my husband-just everyone else

I have two boys and for me it's perfect (I hate the spa! :o ).

I did have a hankering for a third for a while but was too old and DH wasn't having it, plus he'd had the snip! It wasn't to get a girl, i'd have been happy with either. However it did wear off.

Now that mine are 16 and 15 I'm aware that if I thought life with younger children was expensive, it's nothing on the cost of a teenager. Apart from the food, the endless growing out of stuff, the hobbies, the fact that they are charged as adults everywhere, we are now coming into uni time, plus driving lessons, insurance, cars, exams pass rewards etc etc.

We have 2 and for us it's perfect, but at times I had me doubts. I kept thinking, just 1 more... Ours are a girl and a boy, 2 years apart
Why 2 was good for us:
Big reasons were cost, time and lack of room, and discovering ds had aspergers , and not knowing if we had another if they would have it too,( possibly more severe)
Small reasons- everything comes designed for a family of four, from group packages , dining sets, travel deals, dishes, just everything in sets of 4

• you have only 2 hands to hold others, 2 knees to bounce kids on, 2 hips to carry them on, etc

--they already got on together so well, I didn't want to throw that off. They are almost grown now and are still best friends

One here. Would have loved to have two but after having DS1 after just turning 38 I experienced a long flare up of ulcerative colitis. Now I am much better but 41 in April. A combination of being concerned about chromosomal abnormalities and realising we would be struggling financially paying two lots of childcare (we live in Scotland so DS starts school a year later than in England and won't get funded hours till 3.5) means having had to make the saddest decision of my life :-(

I have 5 dd1 is 17 then i had ds1 now 14 ds2 now 10 dd2 is almost 7 and dd3 is 2 i love having a big family and always wanted 4 agreed to a 5th but will never have another now im done with babies and im now divorced and yes i work as well