When do you stop, how do you make yourself stop and why do you stop having children?

[alfiesmadmother]

I just LOVE being a Mum. I love every age (up to 9 my eldest is9), I love having a baby, I love my large family of 4. My youngest is 9 months and I feel desperate for either time to freeze or to have another couple.

Somebody punch meE!

i love babies but im just starting to get my freedom back, thou im broody.

mine are 15,13,10, & 4 ( 4 year old has just started full time school) so im lady of lesiure & im not sure if i want to go back to babies again, if that makes sense.

I don't think I'm finished, I have 3 and love the idea of 4, only the financial implications stops us, things are already hard will only get harder if all government help goes and can't imagine how we are going to fund them if they all want to go to university... its so sad, I think I'll always regret not having my 4th

I find 4 tough but I love it.I would have more but dh is sooooooooo very done.So 4 it is.

I guess it's a completely personal thing. After my third, although he was hard going (still is!!!) I was desperately broody. I felt fine, full of energy, and loved the baby stage etc...

Then I got pregnant with n.4 and the whole balance for us changed. I was shattered ALL THE TIME. I had quite a few moments every day where I felt like tearing my hair out from exhaustion. And although my fourth child is now nearly 13 months, I am still shattered all the time and short tempered. (Mine are all VERY CLOSE as my first child is only 5 years old).

So I know I am definitely done. DH has had the snip and I was a little sad but relieved that I didn't have to go through this again. Also it's taking my body a long time to go back to some sort of normality!

Some people though never reach this stage and go onto have more children. Some reach this stage after they've had their second child. We all have our limits I guess and it's good to know where they are!!!

For me, the broodiness never went away. I have 6. You only live once so if you both are open to a big family, why not? So, for many of us there is no big moment where you say, no more. But time, life circumstance etc, age will just kick in and you get what you get. But if broody, my advice is keep the option open and see what happens. (for me was the surprising arrival of number 6 at age 44!).

I have 5 (aged 16 months up to to 11) and the broodiness will NEVER leave me I suspect. If I had more money and wasn't 44 then I'd keep going. Still look at newborns with desperate longing. Had Mirena coil fitted yesterday, felt a bit sad as it was put in - as if a whole part of my life was coming to a close. Still, very very happy with my gorgeous 5, so mustn't grumble. you're so young alfiesmadmother that you almost don't need to decide yet. Lucky you!