Wanting a 4th but unsure if it'll work financially

[fizzyblush]

Hi guys
I currently have 3 babies 9 yo, 6 yo, 7 month old
I work in a school as a learning assistant and am entering the 'unpaid ' part of maternity . My partner earns about £3200 a month take home. We rent and it's £1200 a month. My take home isn't much at all at £1100 a month . I still am undecided about going back as it'll
Cost a lot to put our youngest in childcare.

Thing is I sort of feel like I want another baby ? But closer in age to our 3rd as I feel like the gap between the older two and the baby is quite big. My oh is logical saying he's already stretched financially which I completely get . We sort of live month to month . Would a 4th make a huge difference financially? I defo would stop at 4 I hope ! Bearing in mind I probably won't be able to go back to my job anyway as childcare will be about the same as I earn! Am I being really irresponsible ...

I don't think anyone is making OP feel guilty. She cannot afford another. Her youngest is 7 months I think it would be silly to advise her to have a 4th.

For the sake of the environment if anything

I think you should have your 4th baby, you seem to already have a good plan going forward. I hope to have my 4th in 2yrs. We don't do much holidays away, and we made sure to eliminate debt and saving to buy a house now.

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba

And I really must add that if you decide to go for a 4th you could end up with twins or triplets....

Or a special needs kid who needs much more time and money than you ever expected.

Doesn’t sound like a good idea to have a 4th if your DH is telling you it would be financially difficult.
Of course you want another, the survival of the species depends on women having babies! By which I mean I think it’s likely that we have evolved to have this maternal instinct, but just because you want them it doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do, just that you are trying to respond to a natural desire to create children.
We have a large family. It is extremely expensive. It makes me laugh now when people ask our advice on whether more than 2 is a good idea, and they say that they know they will need a bigger car, as if this is the main thing to consider

I have 4. 14, 11 and then 6 and 4. Spaced out well.

It is worth bearing in mind that you could end up with a child with disabilities, life long illness etc. Just worth weighing it up. My youngest ended up needing major surgery when small. So I say this through personal experience.

As they grow up they eat a lot more when teenagers, so bear this in mind too. They aren't cute babies forever.

Sounds like you can barely afford the three you have so yes a fourth would be unwise.

Think carefully as there are some costs that could jump considerably from 3 children to 4 - eg a bigger car, potentially a bigger and more expensive place to live. And consider the implications on your relationship. If DP has said no, could he end up resenting you when things are tough? Nobody here can tell you yes or no, but I think you and DP really do need to be 100% up for the commitment.