Spinoff---Parents, Do You Regret Not Having MORE Kids?

[mjkacmom]

Nope. I wanted three, DH wanted two, ended up with five in under seven years. However, I wouldn't want any less, especially now that they're older, and this is our last year of elementary school. I know from my older kids that, at this point, I'll blink, and they're adults. When they were little, younger parents would offer sympathy, but older parents would tell me how blessed I was. The only downside is finances, but I wouldn't trade them for luxury cars and a bigger home.

 

[Colleen27]

Yes and no. In a perfect world, I think we would have wanted one more. But with the way things actually worked out we're both happy with the decision to stop after three. I didn't feel mentally/emotionally able to run the miscarriage gauntlet again to try for another baby and after taking several years to have our youngest both DH & I got to feeling like we were ready to move on from the baby stage. And then we bought my dream home, which is perfect for our family of five but would be tight with one more, and that just reinforced the feeling that a 4th child wasn't in the cards for us.

 

[gwynne]

No regrets. I'm in my mid 50's, kids now in their early 30's. It's nice to have my parenting years behind me. I enjoyed those years, but I also really like our time now.

 

[Gracie09]

We tried for many years to have a third child (one bio one adopted) it was not in the cards. I would have loved to be pregnant again and to have one more running around, but it is what it is.

 

[jerseygal]

No. Two is perfect for us.

Couldn't have said it BETTER! TWO HEALTHY kids, THANK GOD....Blessed with two! We are on the "upswing now"! Looking forward to weddings(hopefully SOON, older DS) and spending time with grandkids at WDW! LIFE IS GOOD!

 

[lizabu]

No. I'm good. I have four teenagers.

 

[aprilchem]

Yes - I have 3, and I would have loved to have had 4 or 5. But I just turned 40, and both DH and I think it would be irresponsible to try now.

 

[Meriweather]

No.

Always wanted two and had two.

 

[SC Minnie]

DH had originally wanted 3 and I wanted 2. We stopped at 1 and I'm Ok with that. We went through a lot with DD healthwise and the chances of having another child with the same problem was even greater than the first.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Yes, I wish I would have had atleast one more.

 

[squeegee]

We'd like to have at least one more, but due to my crappy health, it wouldn't be the wisest thing for us to do. We've got our one Little Monster, and she's wonderful, and that's going to have to be that.

 

[Happy Snowman]

When the kids were little I would have been ok having one more but by the time they were in kindergarten, I was fine and wouldn't have wanted to start all over again with the baby stage. Looking forward to grandchildren though .

 

[Maggie Lizer]

I think if we had started trying earlier, we probably would have thought about having more kids. I don't know if we actually would have, though. Even with having our first in our mid 30s, we contemplated two more, but after getting pregnant with the second we decided that we were "two and through." This way, my DH and I can each take turns with our sons and there is no third kid to feel left out. Like at least one other person said, we are not outnumbered.

A co-worker of mine has five kids, ranging in age from 13 years to 18 months. I can't fathom that many kids. More power to him.

 

[Minnesota!]

Yes.

I always wanted 3-4. But, I had a ton of complications my 2nd pregnancy, and it almost killed me and DS. My doc said it was a fluke thing and she would have no problem with me going for another few kids. But, dh was done.

I always dreamed of 3 boys, though, and I feel like I missed out on having that 3rd one.

 

[bjscheel]

Sort of. I am very happy with my two girls and a family of four is a nice neat number- fits in hotel rooms, can go two by two on rides My girls are very close, best friends.

DH really wanted a boy and I can understand that. If we had two boys I would wish for a girl. But I had complications with each delivery and was too scared to try again (and potentially have a third girl anyway). I had envisioned more than 2 but it didn't seem safe.

I am 38 so another is not impossible but with a 13 and 16 I sure don't feel like starting over now! I tell DH there will be sons-in-law and grandsons eventually.

 

[soccerdad72]

No, 2 has worked for us.

My wife would have loved to have a little girl, but I keep reminding her that little girls grow up to be teenaged girls.

 

[scrhsa]

Absolutely I wish I had had more. I have three daughters. I wish I had started sooner(26 with the first) and closer together (all three yrs apart). I joke with my husband that if I had converted to Catholicism sooner we'd have gobs of kids

 

[Kimkimba]

No. I have 4 - my oldest from my first marriage will be 27 this year. Then I have three more with dh ages 17, 12, and 8. Two of them have special needs and it can be exhausting. My baby just turned 8 and I'll be 50 next year so we are very done.

 

[slo]

No.....I'm very happy with my 2 girls.
People used to say to me, "Aren't you going to try for that boy?"
And I would say, "If I'm going to have a 3rd child it's because I want a 3rd child - not because I want a boy."
Never seems fair to bring a child into the world because your trying for a certain sex (IMO).

 

[Arielle22]

I am 49 and DH 51. Our DDs are 21 and 19 (22 months apart). My second pregnancy was horrible for me and DD was born with a health problem that resulted in surgery and other complications. My mom was dying of cancer at that point so a 3rd was off the table. After Mom passed away, we discussed a 3rd child but decided for financial reasons and for our peace of mind not to have one. We both worked full time and I went to night school so time was an issue. Adding in the cost of daycare for a 3rd child would have strained our budget as well.

Younger DD would ask for a sibling when she was young. I would explain that she would have to share a room, toys and a bathroom with that sibling. She had her own room but shared the bathroom with her sister. I also said we couldn't do cool things like Disney as much if we had another baby. That clinched it for her and she was fine with no younger sibling.

I am the 5th of 8 and DH has a younger brother. I remember growing up sharing 1 bathroom with 10 other people and sharing a bedroom with 3 sisters. Although I love my siblings, it made for a tight house and not what I wanted for my children.