To wonder how many children you’d have, in an ideal world?

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I’ve just had one and I can’t decide whether I’m done, or I want 20! 😁

If you didn’t have to worry about health, money, job, the pesky practicalities... How many children would you have (/had)? Why?

I just love giving birth and the days after, it's just such an exciting time and I would love to do it lots more times. But realistically the 2 children I have is enough for me. They're 2.5 and 6 months and amazing but I'm so tired. I just don't think I have the energy for any more. I feel like with 2 I can give them both plenty of attention and still have some time for myself. This would get more and more difficult with more children and I do really need that time to myself.

None - too many people in the world as it is

i always thought id have 2 then a gap then another 2. i had first at 27, second at 29. then 3rd just before i was 40. that was me done. i assumed id have number 3 at 35 and 4 at 37. but life took a different direction.

Two is enough for me. Even in an ideal world with more time and money.

I have headspace for two, more and I'd be struggling.

Ellican I have friends with 6 and another with 9. Also know a lovely family with 10. Eldest is 18 and just got a 100% full scholarship to college in the US. Youngest was born last summer.

4 and I've got 4, yey!

I always thought four.

Then after finally having one (2 miscarriage and a molar pregnancy later) I couldn’t do it again.

So one, DH says it’s be nice to have another, so maybe in a year or so we’ll look at adopting (if we’re not too old by then)

I'd like 5

I used to want loads, but I'm happy with 2 - maybe if I'd started having them earlier, a few more would have seemed doable, though.

I'm very aware of the environmental impact of lots of kids, though, so that would have to be removed in the ideal world too.

6

2 would be amazing as we’re struggling to get Number 1 at the moment

About to have my third. It’s the number I’ve always wanted. Enough for a noisy happy family but not stupid amount and hopefully will still get invited places.
A fourth might be nice but worry I wouldn’t give them enough individual time ( I worry about this now with the third). I suppose if I didn’t have to work at all, had an easy pregnancy, had enough money to pay for wraparound domestic help so I could just focus on the kids and know I would have an even ratio of sexes I would go for it.

This is really hard. I have 2 girls and that is perfect for me. When I was younger I wanted a boy and 2 girls but not sure 3 is ideal (someone left out) and definitely wouldn't want 4. I think DH would have liked a boy though.

For me 2 is perfect.

I would have 4. I have 3. The last pregnancy, birth and aftermath were incredibly difficult. Plus I feel we are at maximum capacity in the house, financially and mentally. 3 seems a good number for us.

One is perfect for us but everyone is different so I can understand why some people want more.

None - too many humans destroying the planet and every other animal on it. How many fish/animals are going to be left for humans to eat in 30 years time as they are being killed by plastic.

Do we really want the whole planet to end up like London?

I'd like the one I have to be with me full time.

2 - the number we have.

I guess we're lucky insomuch as we would live comfortably off DH or my salary and extra children wouldn't make much impact financially.

Both pregnancies and births were easy.

Whilst love isn't divisible, time and attention are and I think parents with large families are very selfish. There's no way all those children get the attention they need or deserve. Besides which, old sperm often has less than desirable results.

Four if I could afford it and had help with when they don’t sleep/make a huge mess/tantrum. I have two and would like another but it’s so expensive and I’m not sure I can deal with the lack of sleep. Plus career would be really damaged.

I would like 3. We have two now, both with severe needs. My pregnancies were very difficult as well.
We'd love to consider adoption when the when the boys are settled at school and we're financially better off. We'd like to offer a home to a child with SEN, who maybe would have struggled to be placed with a family.

So tbh, yeah. That's our ideal. The two boys and maybe adopt a girl (but not really that fussed on gender!)

5 or 6!

We have four, and its hectic enough, although I do feel for my one boy having three sisters

I'd have had 3 without health issues. I wanted 4 girls until I bad my first born which was a boy then I wanted 3 boys. I have 2 boys and they are fab

I have 4, 2 boys and 2 girls and although I would not wish any of them away life is not easy.
Mostly it is the expense but also the lack of time I have to spend with each individual child.
Four different personalities, four lots of interests, four lots of likes and dislikes and did I mention how expensive it is

In an ideal world I would have 10 children, with a two year gap between first five and a big five year gap before the last set come with their own two year gaps.

I would love a big house and unlimited financial resources with the perfect, smart and happy children. No health problems and at the baby stage all of them need ds1 happy, content, sleepy personality and perfect appetite. If they will turn out to be like my last. Then I would stick to one child thank you.

I have two sons, don't want another in real life. However, I finding myself warming up to try for one last one. But I'm not there and don't know if I will ever be there.

3, I'm not sure why... it just feels right.

We have one and he's likely to be our only.