completing your family

[lizbell]

How does one know when your family is complete? We are in the fortunate position of being able to afford a fourth child, but I am 37 and time is getting on so I feel I must make up my mind in the near future. We have three healthy children so I feel that I don't want to press my luck. My husband says it's my decision and supports me whatever I decide. Is it a feeling you get when you know that your family is complete or is it a more practical decision?

Lol ,I should learn to read properly shouldn't I?

Please don't let what happened to me put you off the mirena - in fact, if they cant find any reason why mine fell out (basically fibroids) then I am having another one - I loved it!

Please don't let what happened to me put you off the mirena - in fact, if they cant find any reason why mine fell out (basically fibroids) then I am having another one - I loved it!

I've always wanted loads of kids, we've just started our family - one ds aged 5 months, and I could happily contemplate the second already! Our problem is that my Granny had twins and triplets, so we have to seriously consider whether we are ready for twins each time I get pregnant. We have kind of agreed on a max 3 pregnancies, but that could be 5 kids.....

I guess some people just know, I have a friend who got very upset when she had a false alarm, and decided that was a signal to her that her 2 were plenty. My sil says NEVER AGAIN, so I guess they're sticking at 2!!
I'm an older mum anyway, so I think my body clock will run out before my broodiness does.

I knew as soon as dd2 was born that that was it for me and being pregnant. I have horrid pregnancies and dd2 was born with a condition that is likely to be worse if we had more children( didn't know that when she arrived though).

I had always seen myself with 4 kids, until I had dd1!! Then 2 seemed right. I felt great relief when dd2 was "out of my body" and I knew I wouldn't be pregnant again.

Had a scare recently too and that's just confirmed how I feel.

Not decided about any more yet. I've not even got my periods back yet after dd - she is 3 months so nature is saying "no" for the moment.

I've only just had a diagnosis of autism for ds who is 3.10 and at the moment I feel I can just about cope with them both. I don't know how I'd manage with any more .... but I am keeping it on the back burner for awhile.

ooops sorry - dd is actually 13 months!

When we had ds, we were in such a euphoric haze that we starting talking about having 3 or 4, both of us from large families. dd came along 2 years later with terrible heart complications at birth, had to have open heart surgery at 1 week old. There I was, desperate to be at home with my babies, praying and gibbering for my new bundle who I hardly knew. She thankfully made an astonishing recovery and is now a healthy happy 2 year old. I am just grateful to have them both, and the thought that there is a 4% chance we could have another with the same problem is a strong contraceptive.

But having said all that, we are still only using condoms, and I still look wistfully at little babies..... On the other hand again, as the youngest of 4 I don't ever remember my mum reading me a bedtime story - she was too busy putting the other 3 to bed. I think I would spread myself too thin if I had any more - I might want more for selfish reasons, but don't think it's fair on the ones I've got.

Totally inconclusive eh?!