5 Ways to Determine the Right Family Size for You

There can be several factors that determine whether or not a couple is happy with the size of their family. Many people have a preset number of children in mind that they want to have and then no more. While others never really feel like their family is complete. So how do you know when you are finished having children? There is no cookie cutter answer to this question that is right for everyone, but in this article you will find some of the most common ways that a couples chooses to stop having children.

Finances - One of the top reasons that many couples choose to stop having children is money. No one ever seems to have enough and raising children is an expensive endeavour. You have doctor visits, clothing, baby toys, supplies and vitamins--and that's before the baby is even out of the womb! Money can be a big issue when a couple plans out their family size and it can be the deciding factor when it comes to preventing any further growth of that family.

Age - Age is another deciding factor for family size. Many men and women have a set time frame in mind for things in their future and that can include parenthood. With more couples marrying at older ages and working for into their reproductive years, age can especially make a difference to women. There are higher odds of age-related difficulties for the infants of older mothers. Of course there are many women of "advanced maternal age" who go on to give birth to happy and healthy children with no problems at all.

Medical Issues - There are many medical issues that can factor into a couple's family size decisions. They can range from numerous infertility issues to problems that arose during a previous pregnancy. Sometimes these medical issues can be so severe that they will prevent the mother from every having anymore children. The decision on family size that is based on medical issues can be created by either physical requirements (infertility, hysterectomy, etc.) or it can be created by mental requirements (the mother is frightened to go through the same experience again). Either was, medical issues can definitely be a way to determine the right family size for you.

Spouse Doesn't Want More Children - When making babies, we all know that it takes two. Therefore, it will take both you and your spouse to decide what the right family size is for you. If your spouse doesn't want anymore children then their feelings should be considered during the decision-making process. Both parents should be in agreement when it comes to bringing more children into the world.

You Just Know - I don't mean that you're one of those people who knew from childhood that you would have three children; no more, no less. I'm talking about those of us who never had any idea whatsoever about the number of children we would have. You have your first child and you're thrilled, but you have a feeling that you should have more. So a few years later, you have your second. That feeling is still with you, so a few years later you have your third child. Are you done yet? Maybe not, but if you are, how do you know? For this group of people it can happen all of a sudden or gradually over a few months or years. One day they wake up and just know that their family is complete. Sure, they love babies and wouldn't turn one away if there was a "surprise", but they like the current size of their family and can't fathom the thought of going back to the newborn/sleepless nights stage again. These people are at peace with the children they have and feel like their family is right where it should be.

These are only a few of the most commonly known ways to determine the right family size for you. There are probably thousands of different reasons that a couple decides to stop (or never) have children. Only you and your spouse can make that decision.

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