Another thread got me thinking. I was watching something once that said the majority of children born, I can’t remember if it was in the US or globally, are unplanned. Since this board has a lot of highly educated people, I was curious. Dopers with children, were they planned?
Not dogding the question (I only dodge my child support! JK ;)), I don’t have any children.
My husband and I have three children; the oldest (who will be 24 next month) was unplanned; the other two (ages 20 and 11) were planned.
One child, planned.
Also one child, planned.
Two children, both planned. We planned that they be 5 years apart so that we’d have a year of recovery between paying for their colleges. Came in very handy.
First child: not planned.
Second child: planned.
1st child not planned
2nd very planned
3rd not planned
I planned not to have children. So far, so good. 
1st child, not planned.
2nd planned to the day, although she thwarted our careful planning by coming out 4 months early. :smack:
Two children. The first, unplanned. The second, planned.
I have no children, so I’ll speak about my parents.
I was wholly unplanned. In fact, I attended my parents’ wedding (albeit as a babe in arms), they would not have stuck together for much longer if I hadn’t have come along, I don’t think.
My brother (4 years younger) was planned. Mum always wanted 2 kids, a boy and a girl. So once she had me, they tried for another one.
My parents separated, and my dad remarried in 02. I now have a 6 year old half-sister who was VERY much planned. How do I know this? Dad had the snip when he was still with mum, and he and my stepmum had to undergo IVF to conceive my sister.
First, unplanned. Second, planned but miscarried. Third, planned. If I happen to be pregnant right now, then it will be unplanned.
Unplanned, planned, unplanned.
I was unplanned.
My Dad was unplanned.
I made sure I told the kids they come from a long line of escape artists. They deserved to be warned that the odds were against them.
First pregnancy, planned, but ectopic.
First child, planned.
Second child, unplanned, but not a total surprise, as I knew there might be a chance.
Third child, unplanned, and a COMPLETE shock. The only time my knees have ever buckled from shock was when I saw that second line pop up.
Whether planned or not, though, each child was very much wanted! I never use the term “accident” when I talk about it, I say “surprise,” and I’ve made sure they know I always considered it a GOOD surprise!
One stepchild, planned
I suspect I was … not an accident, per se, but chips-fall.
first unplanned, second planned
Once child, very very much unplanned (but not unwanted or unloved!)
First child…planned, but we couldn’t conceive, so we adopted. So planned, but not originally in the manner or timeframe he arrived.
We planned on adopting a second child, but before the first got through the door - surprise!
We wanted two, we got two, neither came in the manner or timeframe in which they were first anticipated.
I made an error:
1st child not planned
2nd child planned-miscarriage
3rd child very planned
4th child unplanned
Both my girls were unplanned. Another unplanned I miscarried, another miscarry I’d planned. And one abortion when I was 15 that was clearly unplanned!