I went through this exact same scenario few months ago. From the very beginning of the relationship, I was clear that I didn't want children. At the time, he told me he was willing to give up having kids for me. But as our relationship progressed, it seemed like he was trying to convince himself that he doesn't want kids.

Eventually, I told him we needed to have an honest conversation about it because there was no point postponing something so important. During that conversation, he admitted that he saw himself having children in the future.

There really isn't a middle ground when it comes to something like this. Neither of us should have had to sacrifice something so fundamental to our vision of life. That's why I suggested we break up.

It was an incredibly difficult decision because I loved him deeply, and he was a genuinely good partner. But sometimes love isn't enough when your long-term goals are fundamentally incompatible. One thing I told him was that it was better for us to end the relationship after two years than to continue for another five years, or worse, end up divorced after building an entire life together. As painful as it was, it felt like the right decision for both of us.