How Long Should You Wait Before Getting Pregnant Again?

Spacing pregnancies is an essential part of family planning. Although it rests on individual preferences, there are certain psychological and economical factors associated with it.

Factors That Decide The Spacing Of Pregnancy-

1. The mother’s childbearing abilities, general health and fertility.

2. The family’s income and financial condition.

3. The choice to have more than one child.

4. Pressure from the family members to go through another pregnancy.

5. The child’s wish to have sibling/s.

Risk Associated With Close Consecutive Pregnancies-

1. Health risks, especially in case of a very recent C-section. The mother may not be able to recover fully from the physical or mental stress of pregnancy,

2. None of the children receive wholesome attention from parents as both will be very young. This may create resentment in both children.

3. The second baby may have very low birth weight.

4. Depletion of nutrients in the mother’s body. This can happen in case the mother has been breastfeeding recently.

5. There can be genital inflammation during the second childbirth and labour.

6. There are researches that show the increasing rate of autism in the second born child who the mother delivers within a short span, after the first pregnancy.

Risks Associated With Pregnancies Spaced Too Far Apart-

1. Sometimes there are risks of premature babies and low birth weight.

2. Some mothers may be slightly unwilling to go through the entire process of bringing up a child, as it is emotionally and physically very demanding.

3. It might pose some birth complications if the mother does not have age on her side.

Besides these, spacing out pregnancies may actually be beneficial because it provides the first child enough love and care. Also, at a certain age, the child is mature enough to welcome a new member. He or she may even want to share responsibilities with parents in looking after the young baby. In this way, none of the children are denied attention. Also, once a woman goes through the entire experience of motherhood, she will find it easier to go through the process once more, without panicking. Parents are also able to take up the responsibility of the second child with more maturity as they are better informed.