What made you decide your family was complete?

[noseybuddy]

I have two, One of each. When DD was born she wasn't an easy baby. Never slept, problem with eating, etc. She wore me out. I knew right then that I was done.

 

[momo3hods]

All of my kids tried to arrive early. Oldest DD was 5 1/2 weeks early, son tried the same but was held off to 2 weeks early and youngest dd tried to arrive at 26 weeks!!! Needless to say, put a fork in me, I am done. We are very blessed to have 3 beautiful kids.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I never had an image in my mind. But I told dh that when I turned 37, I was done. I did have medical issues but that was my compromise with DH.
We have fertility issues and I never got pregnant past my last dd who is 9yo.

 

[Credit Man]

We stopped at two. It was mostly age, but also the feeling that our family was complete.

 

[Kitty 34]

When I realized that science hadn't advanced enough to enable DH to carry the third child!

I don't think any DH could handle all we go thru with childbirth!!

 

[jgmklmhem]

To answer the topic question:

I personally always wanted three children. Having our first 2 be girls also made me want to try and have a boy but would have been happy with three girls. Having said that we are stopping at 2 daughters due to our second being born with multiple birth defects that are presumed to be genetic. She had both a cleft palate and craniosynostosis. She has had surgery to repair her cleft and had to have 3 skull reconstructions to correct the synostosis that kept recurring (which most of her doctors thought was very rare to keep happeneing the way it did). She also may be missing teeth and might never get them. So after careful thought we have decided to stop at 2 because we are not sure we could emotionally handle another child with such problems so we decided not to chance it. It was also very rough on our first to see her sister go through all of this. As of this coming January I will go the vasectomy route.

 

[hydster]

We stopped at 3 and sometimes I wish we had stopped at 2

My oldest 2 are only 16 mos apart...girl and boy. I went through really deep depression after they were born and didn't want to go through it again. Then like others said it was taken out of my hands and surprise baby #3 was on the way. I had a difficult pregnancy and I never liked being pregnant ever so as soon as he was here safe and sound my dh went in to get snipped. We were finished when I was 29 and I was really happy about that too. I did go through the baby blues wishing I could have another one once my youngest started outgrowing all of the new baby things. Thankfully it was a decision I couldn't reverse because now with 12, 10 and 6 I can't ever imagine going back into baby mode again.

Then to make double sure I had a hysterectomy 3 years ago.

 

[daisyduck123]

I was finished when I had one of each.

 

[Jeafl]

We had a girl, then a boy 3 years later. I just felt like I wasn't done for some reason. I always felt that we should have 3 kids. 4 years later we had another daughter and then I felt like we were done. I had extremely easy pregnancies, they all slept through the night at around 3 months and were very easy toddlers as well.

Now that I have two teenagers, I am seriously paying the price and definitely rethinking our decision...

 

[zalansky]

I have been agreeing with almost every post on here...for us, I didn't have DS until I was 34 and just had DD the day before I turned 37. (hey - I didn't meet prince charming until I was 30!!!) But I have found going from 1 child to 2 very challenging. I know it will get easier with time - especially when she starts sleeping through the night! A big part of it is age and money for us, we are putting away for their college funds and I want to retire someday, we don't want to be outnumbered and we luckily got a boy and a girl. And as the previous poster said, when they are teens I hope I'll be able to handle the 2 I've got!

 

[Kitty 34]

Now that I have two teenagers, I am seriously paying the price and definitely rethinking our decision...

I know what you're saying!!!!

 

[TKERBELL]

We have 3 boys and we are raising my 14 year old cousin - DH said enough - and though I don't feel my family is complete - I always wanted a BIG family - I kinda need his help to concieve

 

[PaulaSue]

I have been Blessed with 3 beautiful DDs. One miscarrage and a lost of a twin (2DD) besides other medical problems with me and the girls is enough for me. I had my tubes tied and can't be happier with our little family.

(I didn't get married until I was 25 and I wanted to be done with giving birth and breastfeeding by 35 since that is when my Mom was dia. with breast cancer. I was 32 when Ash (DD3) was born and just celebrated my 35th.)

 

[Simba's Mom]

I had always wanted 3, but my first son was premature, had a serious heart condition, and eventually died. Doctor told me all my babies would be high risk of having the heart defect and most likely would be premature, and he suggested we adopt. Instead, I went to another doctor who thought I'd be OK. Fortunately I was, through 2 pregnancies and 2 happy, healthy boys. I'd wanted a third, but I reconsidered. God had been so good by giving me those 2 boys, why push my luck any more? Besides, DH was scared-he also thought we'd been fortunate so "Let's quit while we're ahead!"