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Original poster

how many children have you had? and why that number?

108 replies

4mum · 11/09/2007 22:47

i have 4 kids and 1 step daughter,
dident really set out for that many,were going to stop at 2 but that felt a bit "peter and jane"ish.

had a third a bit sooner then planned,felt the family was complete,then along came number 4 as a complete shock!

glad now though as 2 girls and 2 boys is good,
step daughter never lived with us and is now all grown up.

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BananaPudding · 13/09/2007 18:56
DarthVader · 13/09/2007 19:01

I have one brilliant child because I hit the jackpot first time around

keisha · 13/09/2007 19:11

all my children were very much wanted just not so close i had my first at 23 when she was 21/2 i had my second and shock horror when she was 5 months i fell pregnant again so there was a 14 month gap its very hard work the 21/2 year olds not yet talking and am still on tablets as had very bad postnatal depression have an iron problem and underactive tyroid anyone else experienced the same

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NAB3 · 13/09/2007 19:12

I have 3. Hubby and I never talked about how many we wanted but we both wanted a big family.
Had number 1. Had a really tough time so said no more.
Had number 2. No point not having any more after a VBAC so had number 3. After number 2 was one decided we wanted 4 so figured better get on with it. Number 3 born and nature has decided no more.

LoveAngel · 13/09/2007 19:14

Got one. Always wanted 2, but now hope to have 3. I'd have 4 if I was braver!

LoveAngel · 13/09/2007 19:16

Oh yeh, urm, why? Always wanted 2 because it was a kind of archetype - me and my sister are a pair, and 2 felt like a natural, comfortable numbner. Now realise I want to feel like I am part of a big family, with a gaggle of kids around me. Totally irrational, really. Isn't it always?

LoveAngel · 13/09/2007 19:17

BananaPucding - you are funny! And honest! I like you!

lovecamping · 13/09/2007 19:22

i have 3, planned two then 3 was an accident .... definitely feel complete now. recently lost my sister and its been a comfort to know that if anything happened to one of them, they'd still have another sibling...

keisha · 13/09/2007 19:26

i feel the same as lovecamping my kids are my everything wouldn t be without them

BananaPudding · 13/09/2007 23:22

loveangel

chipmonkey · 14/09/2007 00:01

Bananapudding, it could end up like that movie "Twins" where Arnold Schwarzenegger turned out to be Danny DeVito's twin! When they were trying to create the perfect human, Arnie got the good genes and Danny got the leftovers!

mears · 14/09/2007 00:03

Wanted 4. Had 4. Would have liked more really but

  1. Couldn't afford it
  2. Had pregnancy complication that would only have got worse.

Would be pregnant tomorrow if I could

BananaPudding · 14/09/2007 01:43

lol Chipmonkey, I remember that movie! I think you might be right

MrsJohnCusack · 14/09/2007 02:22

I have 2, one of each
And I thought I'd be done, but actually I think I really want a third. I don't know why, as I don't seem to be particularly good with them, but I don't feel that I'm 'done' yet.

not for a little while though, if I talk about no.3 soon please shoot me

twentypence · 14/09/2007 05:21

One - has a wobble and wanted 2, wobble is now over and am happy with 1 again.

mrsJC you are serene with your 2 but don't know how you would keep playing your music with 3.

ghosty · 14/09/2007 05:27

I have 2. Have wobbles all the time about wanting a 3rd but whenever DH does the "Come on then, let's do it without a condom" thing I get cold feet ...
The gaps would be too big now anyway - DS is nearly 8, DD will be 4 in Feb.
But I am only 37, I have so much time still
But think of the cost of travelling to the UK with 3 kids
But DS would just LOVE a baby in the house
But DD would HATE it
But it would be so lovely to breastfeed again
But I hate being pregnant
But I always wanted a big family
But I am just getting sorted - have chucked all baby stuff out
But I can't bear the thought of being 'finished'

See ... this is what I go through, if not on a daily basis, definitely a couple of times a week.

Sigh.

MrsJohnCusack · 14/09/2007 05:42

hahahahahahahahahahahahahhaah at 'serene', that's the nicest thing anyone has said to me for ages!

ghosty, you see, I think that's EXACTLY what I'll be like in a few years, with v.similar reasons. can't bear to think that DS is already 6 months and my baby days could be over very soon. I'm only 33

sugar34plum · 14/09/2007 07:11

6 wanted 6 since iwas 12. wanted 4 boys and 2 girls but got 3 boys and 3 girls and im not complaining! hard work but lots more love and fun too.

miobombino · 14/09/2007 09:49
BBGB. We always agreed 3 would be great; a 4th was open for debate. 2 definitely too nuclear; I was one of 2 and if you quarrel, there's nobody else to have a friendly bond with. Had the first 3 within 5 years. For a while 3 was perfect - that extra person had arrived to fill that gap around the table some of you mentioned. Really enjoyed watching their different personalities unfold.

Then we reopened the dbate but couldn't decide on 4 or not. Then dh was ill and on medication (he still is) to control his condition. Not compatible with impregnation due to contamination of sperm. Somehow after a year or so of this I got SERIOUSLY broody again . Discussed with dh's specialist. Were given a 3 month drug free window to conceive (or not). Luckily ds3 was conceived during month 1. Is now 3.8 and at nursery. The only downside is the 5 year gap between him and dd, but that couldn't have been helped really and otoh it has its pluses; the older ones aren't jealous at all and they all adore ds3, fighting over whose turn it is to give him a bath/read his bedtime story etc.

Not broody any more and happy with my 4, and with the idea that the baby days are passing. Though yesterday watching ds3 playing happily in the sun on the little slide and in the sand pit at a local park , singing away to himself and darting back to me and my novel every 5 minutes, I did briefly wish he could stay so cute for ever. Especially when I got a spontaneous bear hug and the words "Mummy I just LOVE you" .

Was that all too schmaltzy ?

Ettenna · 14/09/2007 10:02

1 at the moment. Highly debatable if we'll have another; I'm not far off 40, had horrendous baby blues and financial pressures make it unlikey.

But who knows...?

magnolia74 · 14/09/2007 10:03

5, erm....why???? Coz I'm bloody mad thats why

Ettenna · 14/09/2007 10:03

unlikely

Nemo2007 · 14/09/2007 10:05

I have 3,
I always wanted 4/5 dh wanted 1..we think we will stick with 3 as it works well for us but will see as time goes on

foxybrown · 14/09/2007 10:08

I found going from 1 - 2 really hard, going to 3, then 4 has been a whole lot easier.

Its lovely. I'd have another baby if I could, but don't really want anymore children IYKWIM. No 4 is only 9 weeks old!

Hoping I'll get that 'complete' feeling soon.

Nemo2007 · 14/09/2007 10:11

meant to say all mine are close in age [4next month,21m8m] and I think if I leave a gap I wont have more but we will reasses this time next yr.