My husband and I just had our fourth child and it was finally a girl! She was born last Thursday, March 30 and she weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces. She was four weeks early. We also have three boys ages 10, 6 and 3.
Anyway, my question is how many pregnancies are too many? I would love to have another baby in a few years. (All of our children are 3-4 years apart in age and I will only be 30 in September). We have also never had a miscarriage or a stillborn. Is there a point where someone should quit? I'm still a pre-nursing student, so I don't know the answer to that. My husband and I always wanted a large family (5 or 6 children), but I just wondered how often all of you maternity nurses saw that and if there were any type of problems associated if we continued to have children. As of now, I don't have any medical problems to indicate a potential problem and my husband and I are both young.
My husband is one of 10 and I know many large families. One at our church has 12 kids. yes, we are Catholic but so what?
I do grieve all the unwanted and unloved kids out there. I have 2 and would have had more but I got a late start (1st one at 30) plus battled postpartum depression and did not want to repeat that. I am thankful for my 2 beautiful, smart, and sweet (at least most of the time) girls....I always wanted 4, but realized my personal limitations.
What is wrong with a large family IF the family can afford it and can love and care for their kids? most kids that I know that came from large families are well-adjusted, very few spoiled brats, and are good with kids themselves, and compassionate.
It is a personal decision and should be based on the resources available to the parents. And yes, adoption is good. I would love to be a foster parent myself but cant quite talk hubby into it.
I do know that with multiple pregnancies the risk of placenta accreta increases...also bladder incontinence can worsen. but anything has risks.
Again, it is a personal decision. A responsible family planning more children is not going to tip the scale of global issues.
Yes, you don't see many spoiled children come from large families. They would be plowed under before they reached adulthood!
each body is different. Depending on your genetics, exposure to trauma and chemicals in the environment, your fitness level andyour diet--you could only have 4 or you could have 14. Most mamas I know who have more than 6 or 7 start to have some serious (well, depends upon the individual definition) health issues; incontinence, generalized abdominal pain, organ prolapse, and back pain seems to be the main ones. I've known of several moms who've had 10+ kids; most at some point had some of these issues. Of course, there are women who have had NO children, or only one or two, who also have these issues.
My body doesn't do pregnancy well, it took all of available technology and a heck of alot of luck to maintain two pregnancies to viability. So my limit is absolutely two. I have friends who apparently have no limit! Or they haven't hit it yet.
I think it is up to you to know your body best, and to listen to your body as much as you can. Even if you do experience complications, large or small, only you can decide if they are worth the extra family members.
kadokin, ASN, RN
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