The Case For (and Against) a Third Baby

How I convinced my husband to go for a third and the good and bad that comes with three kids.

My youngest is now two years old, and ever since his arrival, one of the most common questions I get is about the transition from two to three children. It’s a topic that clearly weighs on a lot of people’s minds and it’s often the case that one parent (typically the mom) wants one more and the other parent (most often a dad) doesn’t feel the same way. I get it because that was our exact scenario. But ultimately, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was missing.

Since welcoming our third, I’ve become one of the biggest advocates for making the leap from two to three kids. There’s something uniquely meaningful about this transition. Becoming a mom for the first time is life-altering, and going from one to two children was another big adjustment. But after raising two, you’ve gained confidence, clarity, and the gift of perspective — you know by now how fleeting those hard moments really are.

I remember crying through the witching hour with my first two. But by the time my son arrived, I was unfazed. I knew how temporary it all was, so I’d pop in my AirPods, put him in the carrier, and head out for a walk. I had grown, and it made all the difference.

My sweet, happy baby is now a toddler. And now that we’re finding our rhythm with three, I’ll admit that life with three kids comes with some overwhelm. Life is loud and messy. The laundry never ends and someone always needs something. But surprisingly, I’m less anxious and overwhelmed than I was when I had my first.

So today, I want to explore what life with three kids really looks like, how I talked my husband (who was very much done at two) and share both the case for and against adding a third baby to your family.