Ok, I'm thinking (very tentatively) about no. 3....tell me why I shouldn't....

[ReRebecca]

or should?! I have two children. 3yrs and 4 1/2yrs. Life is almost back to normal. They sleep, we sleep. We are a nappy-free house, inf act the more I type the more I think I must be crazy but I do have the overwhelming urge to have another baby. They don't stay babies for long though do they? I don't know. I told dh, I thought he'd say NO straight away and he didn't. He wasn't exactly mad keen but not totally opposed. I think it's just baby-longing. Someone come and talk to me about it!

3 are fabulous - I have 7,4 and 7 1/2months - DS3 still not sleeping through the night - but once you've had one/two you're prepared for it and know it's not going to last forever

Looks like you are alone thinking that IceQueen

Going from 2 to 3 is a lot harder than 1 to 2 imo and ime. Wouldn't be without my 3rd but may have waited a bit, dunno?

Oh. I found 1 to 2 REALLY hard. Maybe I'm not cut out for 3

How old are your children NAB3?

i disagree with NAB3wishesfor2008!!i found going 2-3 easier than 0-1 or 1-2.helps ds2 was dream baby though i think!
mind you my number 3 is taking every single video out of cupboard and 'helping' to rearrange as we speak

Rebecca - has your eldest just started school or about to? It could be this that has stirred up feelings of needing another baby.

My DS1 is 4 1/2 (just gone to school), DS2 is 2 and I have been broody for months now. But part of me feels like you - just as life is getting easier, should I be thinking of stirring things up again!

I"m pg with no3. Have one at school and one about to start nusery after the summer, so with those age gaps I"m figuring I'll have time with the baby alone and time to sleep etc if I need it.

Personally couldn't do a close age gap (dd will be almost 3 when baby arrives) as I would find lots of "babies" hard, but one baby I can do and I can't wait to really enjoy this one.

With ds I was overwhelmed with motherhood full stop, with dd I was much better and knew all the basics, but had to learn to juggle more than one child. With no3 I'll have mastered basics and juggling so will sail through the whole thing

Seriously, though I can't wait for my last baby, and knowing it's my last is making me savour every tiny thing and I'm loving the pregnancy and actually looking forward to the birth and feeding etc.

Then 2 or so more years later, we'll be "normal" again. And as you can't fit any more than 3 in the back of a car, dh will go for the snip shortly after baby ariives

oh god dont do it...lol No seriously I found 2-3 a lot easier even with small gaps..maybe thats why? Having gaps you have means older ones would be in school giving good opportunity to catch up on sleep etc

Its lovely having 3. Never felt like a real family having two. Mine are 4,3 and 2. I didn't find it hard going from two to 3, its just like a continuation. I found having a time orientate routine helped a lot. A bit like having a work schedule!

I am having exactly the same thoughts as you rerebecca. (although I worry that I want 3 as a back up in case one of the others doesn't like me!!!)DS is nearly 5 and DD 1.5. Not what i planned but a 3 and a bit yr gap is really quite easy to manage. My concern now is the gap between oldest and youngest.
Where are your friends up to on the kids thing? will there be others to talk night garden with you or will they all be onto dr who?!!

Mine are 6 and 10 months, 4 and 5 months and 2 and 7 months.

It is an individual choice and experience. If you have a dream birth, a baby with no problems, no PND and lots of friends and family to help and support it can be easy.

I didn't have the first 2, the 3rd every time and don't have the last so I did find it hard.

I also had a new baby, a child starting school and had just had a bereavement so I am allowed to have found it hard!

2 never felt enough though and we had number 3 while plannig to have four but it wasn't to be.

Tell you why you shouldn't?.... heeheee, cracks knuckles in eager anticipation....

Did you enjoy pregnancy? Childbirth? Post-partum sleep deprivation? Nappies from hell? Advice and touching from strangers or (worse) meddling relatives? Do you want to go thru all that again?

• Bigger car quite often
• So many chances for things to go wrong (possibilities range from minor irritations to big heartache)
• Try booking a holiday for 5 rather than 4
• Extra everything to pay for
• If you get a gender this time you didn't have before, extra costs of girlie/boy things you don't currently have.
• What do you do with a little hungry baby or rampaging toddler when current children need help changing after swimming lessons, or ferrying to from playdates/activities? Do you actually have anyone to help?
• At an older age, try juggling after school clubs, birthday parties, preschool and school assemblies and commitments for 3 rather than 2...
• 3 squabble more than 2 -- trust me on that one. Unless you luck out and get twins 3rd time around. In which case identical twins are capable of more love-hate than you can imagine.

I also have this vivid memory of bringing No. 3 baby home when other children were 4.5 and 2.5... my eyes kept darting around the room, how was I supposed to keep an eye on all 3 at once?

Of course I'm an idiot, I'm expecting No. 4 now so obviously I can't learn my lesson, either .