Do I want a 3rd child?

[winogal]

Obviously no-one can answer this but me, but I'd love to hear other people's insights/experience ... I have 2 DSs (3 and 1) and they are fantastic. I don't feel that my family is incomplete, and I don't crave a dd in particular. But I love the idea of having another baby .... but maybe this is more because I'm so sad to think that chapter of my life is over so quickly (I loved being pregnant, and the excitement of an impending baby, and even the hard first few months of having a newborn), rather than actually wanting a third child. Other factors (quite important ones really!) are that I am 41, and my partner isn't keen on a 3rd - says it would be unmanageable! But I'd really like to sort out my own thoughts on this as well as dealing with the external factors of age and partner, if this makes sense ...

I just wish I was clear in my own mind one way or the other, the way that some of my friends are - they seemed to know very clearly what they wanted in terms of number of children. Any insights most welcome!

Ha Kitpuss you have been inside my head.

Maybe you are me in another sphere?

Sneakapeek at the thought I might be you in another sphere!

It is good to know that I am not the only one who thinks such ridiculous things though. And also totally overthinks the issue: I was told several times on another thread to stop overthinking this, from people who obviously have no idea what it is like to have a mind that naturally overthinks and obsesses about things.

You do have lots of really good reasons not to have another child though with the history of pregnancy problems etc, my reasons are all in my head about me not coping, and I drive myself mad with it every day.

My head has made the decision to have two, I'm just waiting for my heart to catch up.

sneakapeek - your thyroid comment isn't right though? underactive thyroid being controlled by meds = you are fine to conceive with no other preparations - baby will be fine. have done it twice.

that's by the by though.... am pondering this third baby thing as well...

have ds 6 and dd 4. always thought i'd have 3 but had decided against it and then just recently dh has been getting broody (!) which has set me off. i dunno - am getting on a bit - time not on my side if i'm going to mull this one over.....

I have always wanted a big family but for a variety of reasons we couldn't ttc no 3 at the time it made sense. But I felt unfinished so we went for it. Ds is now 12, dd1 is 9 and dd2 is 5 months. I'm so happy. Best move ever. The next question is should we ttc no 4?