Did you always want a big family?

[HettieMama]

My first baby is a month old and despite the emotional rollercoaster of the first 2 weeks and the obvious sleep deprivation I am besotted and loving it. I absolutely adored being pregnant (despite it's difficulties) and miss that too. I have always always wanted to be a mother and have said since I was tiny that I want lot's of children.
I am so intrigued by those with lot's of children, did you always imagine having a big family? Is it how you expected? Do you ever feel 'done'?

As the eldest of 5, i wanted lots of kids. I have 3 plus a step daughter, i love them and over all they are good kids. Would i have more in a heart beat but the practicalities outweigh that desire. Money, time and space. Plus im now 40 and hubby nearing 50 its not sensible. I would never say never but growing up i never felt i had time with my mum, or i could ask for things i needed. And therefore 4 is my maxium

I always wanted 5, I thought I could have 3 biological and adopt 2. I come from a family of 5 kids maybe that's why I wanted a lot. Now I am about to have my 3rd. I want 2 more to make it 5 if everything goes well. Hopefully you have the big family you want too.

As an only dc I was miserable.. No extended family except 1 dgm. No cousins.
I had a dc at 17 and kept going.
Had baby 11 at 43. Am done now.
Not a life plan as such but def no regrets whatsoever.

Nope. It just sort of happened, I have 4. We are done, had awful 4th pregnancy, think that turned off my broodieness.

I planned to have one or two. It took a long time and a fertility journey to have my first, and she was such a high needs baby I questioned whether I could cope with any more.

However, we tried for a sibling on a tiny chance and conceived twins naturally. I never thought I would have three.

I adore every one of them, and despite the anxiety I had throughout my twin pregnancy it’s been an easier newborn stage with the twins than it was with my first.

However, I am definitely done now. I’m 41 and would not risk another pregnancy (or multiple pregnancy again for that matter). I already feel stretched enough for time, money and space! If I was younger and recovered easily from pregnancy I might consider a fourth but I am extremely grateful for the children I have.

In hospital atm after having a pretty rough birth with our 6th, still don't feel "done".
I have always wanted a larger family and I really don't know if I'll ever feel ready to say "no more" but I did always say I didn't want to be making babies past 40. Hubby would like to try for boy but I have been advised to not get pregnant for at least 2 years, we may have another we may not.

I'm one of two and any husband is an only child. When we first talked about having children in the future we said we would like two as for me that's how I was brought up and my husband didn't like being an only child. After our second baby was born I didn't feel 'done'. Our second was born at the end of August so she started school literally days after her fourth birthday and it felt like that time had gone so fast, and my husband worked away a lot so he felt he'd missed out on a lot. There is a five year age gap between our second and third and it felt a bit like she would get left out when the others got older, so we decided on number four with the same age gap as the older two. We love having four children, this definitely feels like the right number for us

@30degreesandmeltinghere I really would love to hear more about having 11! Where do they all sleep? What was it like financially? What kind of car/transport did you use? What’s the age gap between each? Did you few you missed out on other aspects of life? Would just love to learn more!

I always thought I'd be a single mum of 1 (maybe 2) adopted child as marriage and babies wasn't something that bothered me, I'm now happily married with 2 biological DC and would love another biological one and then 2 adopted. I think 5 is the perfect number for me for many reasons but DH is wanting a vasectomy so looks like we're done at 2 😢