Gap Needed in between Pregnancies/Babys

Best Age gap between babies

When to have another child is a personal choice and sometimes not entirely within our control! Women starting their families well into their thirties may not have the luxury of choosing wider spacing as diminishing fertility becomes a factor. 

Even so, health-wise it is better to recover from one pregnancy and childbirth before embarking on the next for you and your baby. A review of many studies in this area has shown a significantly higher risk of prematurity, low birth weight, and being small for gestational age in babies conceived within six months, compared to babies conceived within 18 to 23 months, of a previous birth. These risks were still evident for babies conceived within 7-17 months of the previous birth, albeit to a lesser extent than those conceived within six months. If you aim for an 18-23 month gap between pregnancies you'll have time to recover your energies and replenish your body's resources. 

A smaller gap between babies gets the hard work over with more quickly but the expenses come closer together and there may be more squabbling later as the children's interests overlap. While, larger gaps give you the opportunity to enjoy each child as an individual and to give them your undivided attention for the first few years. It also means you can spread the cost of having children over a longer period of time.

However, children who are very widely spaced may grow up less close to one another. Sometimes there is resentment from the older child who feels his position has been usurped by a new arrival. Also, the risks of the same birth complications seen with a very small gap between pregnancies kick in for much larger gaps too. The review above found that gaps of 59 months (about five years) or more between pregnancies were also associated with a significantly increased risk of premature delivery, low birth weight and small for gestational age. 

In general, it is sensible to wait at least six months to a year before trying to conceive again in order to give your next baby a healthier start to life. Other than that, there don't appear to be any major disadvantages associated with having your babies close together, although it may be more emotionally and financially demanding in the short term. The key question is "Are you ready to have another baby?". 

Why You Should Plan Second Pregnancy !

1. Your Postnatal Health: Whether you are ready to get pregnant again is determined by postnatal health. There is a massive drain of nutrients from your body during a pregnancy. If you have acing joints, low haemoglobin count or feel fatigued then it is obvious that reserves of vital nutrients like calcium, iron, etc have been depleted. In that case you need to wait to regain your health.

2. When and Why is a Back-to-Back Pregnancy Possible: If you are back to your normal self within 6 months of giving birth and we mean to your ideal weight, blood report and general health conditions then you can have a second child immediately. Most gynecologists advise a minimum gap of 1 year between 2 pregnancies. However, if you are past 35 already then planning a pregnancy immediately makes sense as you may have have infertility issues later.

3. Weight Issues: Many women think that since it is loads of trouble to lose postnatal weight it is better to go through with the second pregnancy and then try to lose weight. Please remember, you need to be at the best of your fitness when you attempt the second child just like you were for your first one.

4. Breastfeeding And Pregnant: Not only pregnancy but also breastfeeding is a huge drain on your body. If you are pregnant and also nursing then you are actually feeding not one, not two but three; its a huge challenge.

5. Pregnancy And Your Firstborn: You may be pregnant again but that doesn't rid you of the responsibilities of the first child. You will be kept on your toes by the toddler. On the plus side it gives you lots of natural prenatal exercise. But on the down side lifting the baby is heavy work and not restring enough could cause strain leading to complications.

6. Planning Pregnancy After C Section: Doctors decree that your chances of having natural birth within 2 years of a C section are really low. So you should not get into a situation where you need to open up your abdomen twice in a row.

7. Age Gap: It is totally up to a couple to decide but the ideal age gap between siblings should be between 3 to 5 years according to behavioral scientists.

Plan your second pregnancy as per these conditions.