How did you know when your family was complete?

A lot of people just know when they are done having children. Sometimes when they have a child (whether it's their first or fourth) they just look at their family and realize they're happy and simply want to stay at that number.

Age has a lot to do with it. You say your husband is approaching 40 but you don't say how old you are or how old your children are. After 35 pregnancy becomes a much higher risk. I'm not saying you can't do it, there have been so many advances in medicine that the risks have dramatically decreased, but they're still there. Also, if you have a child now you have to think about how old you'll be when the baby is a teenager and think about if you'll want to deal with it then. Your children also have a lot to do with the decision. How old are they? Do you want to start all over again? Will you want a child still at home while the others go off to college?

Do you want to take care of another child for 18-22 more years? Are you ready to go through another pregnancy and labor? Do you have the money and time to care for a baby again? Do you want to travel? Downsize your home as your children become older?

I don't know when I'm going to be done, but my sister has two children and is in the process of fostering. She told me that if fostering doesn't work out (they have yet to be placed with a child) she'll have her third and last baby in two years (she likes a four year gap between her children). After that she's finished.

We just couldn't afford any more. I have 5 step children and 2 of my own. I am happy with the decision to not have any more. However, I do regret the way i stopped. I had my tubes tied. Since then, I have had the worst periods ever imaginable. It's not just me either, my sister and best friend both said the same thing. We all had it done around the same time, so I didn't know until it was too late. You can get an IUD. If you change your mind, it's easy to undo, but it's supposed to be more full-proof than tying tubes anyway.

I can't answer that, because only you and your husband can know when and if you're done. But as far as birth control, I'd say clippity clip for DH because unlike women, that's a very minor procedure with fewer side effects. I've also heard it's reversible.

on my third baby i decided 3 was enough

im happy with three but i miscarried a few years ago

i think it would of been lovely to have 6 or 8 big families are lovely but those labour pains and finances were too much for me so i wimped out at 3

no regrets

My 3rd pregnancy was very high risk. When she was born healthy at the end of a very trying pregnancy, I knew I was done. I wouldn't put my life in danger again, and risk leaving my kids motherless. I do not regret this decision at all.

When we are all together there are four kids, two are my bio kids and two are step kids. That's a lot of "kid" to feed, cart around, care for etc. Plus my pregnancies were high risk, and I knew after two kids I was complete, and with four bio kids, my hubby was complete too!