Mom of Three Explains Why She Feels Three Kids Pushed Her Family Past Its Limits

Donatella Westaway, who posts as @donatella_westaway on TikTok, is a mother of three. She knows what she is talking about, and she is not afraid to say it. In a video that has received 10,400 likes and 353 comments, she tells parents considering a third baby to think twice. “I’m just gonna say, two is not enough, three is too many,” she said.

The video opens with Donatella addressing anyone who might be mulling a third child. “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you were thinking about having that third baby…” she began. She then explained that having three children is harder than having two, and that she had been a mother of three for just under two years when she made the video.

Donatella’s Case Against Three

Donatella makes a plain statement about motherhood. With two children, she says, the load is bearable. A third child strains resources and time. The caption captures her view directly: “This is the easiest way I could explain what having that third baby is like.”. That is how she chose to put it, the simplest way to express what she went through.

Other parents reacted strongly to the video, some fully agreeing with her while others pushed back, saying four is the magic number.

The Exhaustion and the Trenches

Several mothers said they could relate to Donatella’s experience. One commenter wrote, “The truest thing I’ve ever heard. Mum of 3 for just over 2 years, I’m exhausted guys.” Another said, “3 was too many….then I had 2 more!”

One mother who has raised three children said the move from two kids to three was especially hard on her. “Can’t relate to this more!!! Adore my 3rd daughter but the move from 2-3 is mind blowing. I’m in the trenches,” she wrote.

The Four-Kid Pushback

There was disagreement about whether three children are too many. A few parents argued that adding another child could actually ease the strain. “As a mum of 4, it makes it all better. 3 there was always one needing me where as with 4 they entertain each other and went off in different combinations of 2s. If you not getting on with one sibling choose another 😂. I’m convinced 4 is the perfect number,” one person commented.

A second person responded in agreement, noting that “If you want 3, have 4. 3 is a crowd, 4 is great.” One mother, who was getting ready to have her third child, admitted she was still not sure if she had made the right choice. “My third born is days away from crawling and at present it feels like maybe 2.5 children – currently surviving, but ask me in a week and I’ll confirm whether 3 is too many,” she wrote.

The commenter made a joke about the perfect family size, “2 is the balance unless their personalities tip the scale. 3 – you’re outnumbered so tread carefully and 4- well they form a government and they’re pretty much in control but like us to think there’s diplomacy…that’s where I’m at,” they said.

What the Comments Show

The conversation beneath the post became a debate over how parents feel about raising three children. Some sided with Donatella, saying the shift from two to three is overwhelming. Others claimed that adding another child eventually made their home run more smoothly.

The Daily Dot could not independently confirm Donatella’s personal account, which is drawn from her experience shared on TikTok. Donatella, who posts under the handle @donatella_westaway, was sharing her own take on raising three children.

The Debate’s Shape

The video began with Donatella stating her position plainly. Several mothers concurred with her, speaking of weariness and the challenge of moving from two to three children. Other parents countered that four children are superior to three, citing reasons including amusement and sibling relationships. One mother expecting her third child acknowledged doubt, pointing out that her emotions might change entirely within a week.

There’s a definite split among the speakers. A number of parents think three is pushing it. Just as many believe four is the right number.

A case for four kids over three is treated as a genuine position rather than a joke. Those who hold it argue that four kids balance out the disorder of three. Whether that claim holds up remains open to question. What is beyond dispute is that parents exchange ideas with one another.

Donatella’s honest opinion was shared as a risk, and it paid off with a great deal of both agreement and disagreement. The response she received shows the nature of parenting: you never know what you are getting into until you are in it.

The discussion beneath the post demonstrates this point. Parents can’t agree on much, but there is one shared belief: raising a child alters your entire existence.

Here is how the conversation broke down:

1. Donatella’s video opened the door by stating her position bluntly.
2. Several mothers agreed with her, describing exhaustion and the difficulty of the move from two to three.
3. Other parents argued that four children are better than three, offering reasons ranging from entertainment to sibling dynamics.
4. A mother preparing for a third baby admitted uncertainty, noting that her feelings could shift within a week.

The debate continues. Donatella made her point. The parents responded.

A divide runs through the discussion: some parents argue that three is too many, while others believe four is the right number.

Source material: “Mom of Three Shares Her Honest Take on Having a Third Baby: ‘I’m Just Gonna Say, Two Is Not Enough, Three Is Too Many’,” The Daily Dot.

childhood · parenting · third baby · TikTok · viral mom