how many siblings do you have? and has this effected how many children you want to have ?

[pregnantbabyelephant]

just interested if this could be part of why people want the amount of children they do ?

one of 3 and have 2. Just the way it worked out really, don't think my experience influenced me much but dh definitely wanted more than 1.

I was one of 3 and 2 doesn't seem to be enough to me. DH was an only child and he thinks 2 is plenty!

It can go either way, I think. Some friends of mine have one child because the mother was an only child and loved it, while the father was one of 2 and hated it!

Both me and dh are one of 3. We have 4 children and I am pg with the 5th. I planned to stop at 4 (oops!), but when i was younger I wanted 6 - we will stop at 5 now.

My ds has said that he is only going to have 2 children - I feel very guilty that he maybe feels that we have too many children, but hope he continues to be close to his siblings when he grows up.

I was the only child and it has def effected how many children I want. I have one DD and we are TTC #2. I want 3 children but the thought of buying 5 tickets one day to go and visit in SA... think we'll stop at 2.

Not the no. of siblings but the age gap definately affected our decision to wait until dd was two before trying for no. 2. DH has bro 18 months older and I have sister thirteen months older. We didn't want too close an age gap between our children having both hated it ourselves.

I am the oldest of two, always wanted a big family to make up for what I lacked growing up
Dh is the middle of three. He never wanted more than 1, 2 at most.
We officially stopped at 2. However 10 weeks ago we had no. 4 and although it is really hard work, it is lovely.
BUT DEFINATELY NO MORE.

I'm on of two , and I have always wanted two children. Only have my son so far but hopefully soon...

I am the eldest of 2, ds is eldest of 3. i think TBH that the eldest bit is more relevant in our decision to have 1 child.

Good question - I am the eldest of two and would love to have #2 one day, though hyperemesis probably would make it impossible. DP is the eldest of 3, very close in age, but always loved it, and would ideally like 3. So definitely it does in our house!

I have two brothers. I hated getting outvoted and spending my childhood Saturdays hanging round on the sidelines of rugby fields and cricket grounds. My parents were extremely busy and always went with what kept the majority happy, and my brothers voted as a bloc when it came to TV, outings etc and we never really did anything that I wanted to do. I used to seethe with envy when we visited my cousins (two ultra-girly girls who were always being taken to the ballet).

I would never have three.

I have one sister. And now I have one son...but in an ideal world I would like him to have a sibling because, to put it very simply, my sister is one of my best friends and I would love for DS to have the same special relationship.

I have 1 sister and always had a very poor relationship with her, so I always wanted 4, as found 2 too inense.

Anyway, had 3, tried for a years for no. 4 and it just didn't happen. Gave up, accepted my lovely 3, gave away all my baby stuff .... and am now pg with no. 4 and having to kick myself and scratch my head wondering what the hell I'm going to do. Just my luck.

I think 4 will be better than 3, as 1 will play happily with 2 or 3, 2 will play happily with 1 or 3, 3 will play happily with 1 or 2, but all 3 together = agro, fighting, tears blah blah. I guess the old saying 3's a crown is true. They can't wait for no. 4, but dunno how it'll work if it's a girl

I am 1 of 3 and dh is 1 of 8. We are stopping at the 2 we have. Coming from a large family dh never had one to one with his parents and he really notices what he missed out on now that he has his own children.

I am an only child and pregnant with number three, seems like most only children on here do not want thier children to be an only child.

im the eldest of 8 (all 1/2 siblings) and ideally i would LOVE a big family. im very close to them all and think the world of them!

Dh is the 5th of 14 children and he said all his mum ever did was have a baby to feed or vegetables to chop! He only wanted 1 child but we have 2. He would never dream of letting me have a 3rd! Suppose we have a compromise.

I am eldest of 3[2 step sisters 7plus years younger than me]
Dh is only child

We have 3 and dont know for sure if we are done. Sensible side says we are but then my heart kicks in..lol

DH is one of loads (all 1/2 siblings) but they are all at least 12 years older or 10 years younger than him so he was almost brought up as an only child. I'm one of 3 and am expecting my 3rd.

Strangely the age gaps between my DCs are almost exactly the same as those between me and my brothers (although that is down to nature rather than any planning).

I wouldn't say I was influenced by how many siblings I have, DH and I both only wanted 2 before we had our second but over time have realised we wanted another.

I've got six siblings, LOVED being in a big family but only wanted 2 of my own as am obviously poorer than my parents. Then I had a lovely (useless condom) surprise so have got 3. Don't think my choice was influenced by any negative experiences of having loads of brothers and sisters but more through realistic assessment of size of house/income/doing it all solo.

I have no siblings. I have 2 dc's, don't want any more. I didn't want an only child but thought 3 would be hard work.

i am one of four. i have one brother and two sisters, all younger than me. my mother was also, weirdly, one of four, also 3 girls and one boy, so part of me has always wondered if i would carry on this tradition. we have one daughter at the moment, and i would like at least two more. however, i don't know if i finances will allow for this. dp is one of two, and so wanted two, so we may have to compromise.

I was an only child.
Fortunately,i had lots of friends but i still always felt i'd missed out and was determined to have more than one child myself.
My best friend however is the eldest of 4(one brother and two sisters).Strangely,she only has one child-at the moment-and I have 3!
I always envied the fact that her house was so lively-people always popping in and out(her mum had loads of brothers and sisters aswell!).However, she always envied the fact that I had my own bedroom!!!

i think the comments about parental attention can be addressed..
I was one of four - my father was relatively absent 9 worked long hours) and my mother was too high and mighty to be a mother
had she had one she would not have 'parented'
dh and i have 5 - we are very family orientated - there is a 14 year gap between numbers 1 and 5 but actually this is probably irrelevent
i do hope my children grow up close - their relationships will -please god - far outlive mine with them

I'm pleased this thread has such positive stories about families with 3 children (the last thread I read on Mumsnet on this topic was v depressing).

I think it has impacted on us. DH is one of 4 boys, which he says was too many (esp as that included twins in the middle). I was one of two and had a very close relationship with my brother until he married a loon .

We have three because two didn't feel enough and we wanted enough noise and bedlam for it to be fun, and for them to have each other to lean on an other day as we don't have many relatives.

i have two siblings. twin sisters and i now have two dd's myself. Growing up as a '3' has always made me want three. Dh grew up with just his brother and always thought two would be his limit. Inc his son he now has three. I would love to have another but you start to get the old "isn't two enough?" or "you're trying again!!"