I'm gonna stick my fingers in my ears, sing La La La, and go for a third (I think)

[Kif]

Just before I do - anyone want to give me a reality check?

1. I'll need a new car. I love my car - small, reliable, manouverable. What'll I get instead that I'll love as much? I'll part exchange my Micra, so should be OK for money, albeit debt

2. We're living in a 2 bed 2nd floor flat (no lift). Rented from my friend - so wondorously cheap. We'd have to move, wouldn't we? I'm spininng dh a line how dc's 1 and 2 will go into our room and share, and we'll go into small room with new baby... but I suspect we'll have hv on our back for overcrowding. Moving bigger would really hurt financially - moving further out would lose our friends and school.

3. Work will go when I arrive back from mat leave with a bump.

4. I haven't lost dc2 weight yet - so it'll be fat on top of fat.

5. I'm sporadically a crap mother to my existing brood - based largely on exhaustion. Is it really fair on anyone to make it even tougher?

6. If I conceive quick, I'll give birth at the begining summer 2008 - which means my mum could help lots.
   However, for complicated reasons this means that my breastmilk supply for bf dc2 is likely to drop sharply - and he seems to be a bit cows milk intollerant - so that may leave us in a fix.

7. My dh has had his eye on a career boosting job move. He says if we have dc3, he wouldn't be keen on going for it, because he would worry about the impact of him having to work longer hours. Btw - I think he should go for it.

8. I'm only just seeing light at the end if the tunnel. If I had a third, I'd 'lose' myself for at least another few years. I'd definitely be a Mother with a capital M.

9. Out finances are... peculiar.

10. Is it fair on dc2 to have another so soon.

Dd is 3.5 . Ds is 9 months. Dh and Dd are enthusiastic about idea. I think it's madness... but I keep talking about it... I think I'm very broody but trying to persuade myself out of it.

Anyone want to shake some sense into me? Form an orderly queue.

Everyone sounds so down on big families today I have 4dcs ranging in age from 16 to 16 months, and I dont regret a second of it! I have a 15 month gap between dd2 and ds1 and dd2 was fine, they slept at different times so I still had time with each of them on their own. We were also in a 2 bed flat when ds1 arrived, but managed fine for about the first year, then had to move. I traded my clio in for a serena with 8 seats which tbh doesnt cost an awful lot more to run. Money is tight, very tight but we get by, the latest moan is that they dont have heelies like a lot of their friends do, but they get over things like that very quickly.
In the end you have to make the decision that is best for you, but I just wanted to say its not all bad!

It seems you have pointed out way more reasons not to than to which would suggest your not really too sure yourself!

I would give it a few years is there any reason to rush into another?? then your little one will that bit bigger so no need to worry about BF your DH will be well into his new job (which I would hope will mean more money) your family would by then be too big for a two bed flat most probably would have to move anyways? and you would have had time to regroup a bit before the next round

Whatever you decide good luck

I agree with the other posters. Having 3 dc is lovelybut very hardwork and if you can see that htere are many reasons not to right now then wait, also agree it's a time for feeling broody, dd2 is 7 mo and i'm thinking....well i suppose another wouldn't be so bad...NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! No way do i really want another and definitley not right this min, you've all the time in the world to get yourself into a situation where it will be easier, enjoy ds while a baby and think later when you're more ready.