Claire
How long to space your pregnancies 🤔
From a medical research standpoint, experts DO recommend waiting 18 months between pregnancies (and in cases of older maternal age and/or with a history of infertility, 12 months).
But why?
According to a HUGE research study that looked at 150,000 pregnancies – pregnancies that occur closer than 12 months together are associated with a slightly elevated risk of…
- Premature birth
- Low birth weight for baby
- Congenital abnormalities
- Other newborn complications
- Maternal mortality
- Placental abruption
Interestingly, women younger than 35 with close interval pregnancies seemed to have a heightened risk for issues with baby, while women OLDER than 35 had a heightened risk of maternal illness.
HOWEVER, while those risks are there, they are still pretty rare – even so, the consensus recommendation is that it’s best to wait 12-18 months if you can so that your body can totally heal from your first birth.
But you know what?? What’s best for YOUR family might be different from this recommendation! Lots of women have back-to-back pregnancies without complications.
So talk to your provider about what’s best for YOU. And if you happen to get pregnant shortly after birth (whether it was planned or not!) – don’t stress it, mama 💕
Any mamas out there with short intervals between their pregnancies?!
What age difference do you have between your littles?
What do you love about it?? Share your story in our comments! 👇
Originally posted 2021-02-22 15:50:02.
I have a 3 yr old, 2 yr old, 9 month old, and am 12 weeks pregnant currently. 😏❤
There’s 2 years between first and second and almost 4 years between second and third, the wider age gap worked better for our family. I felt like I was in a fog with the older two.
My kids are 4 years apart my oldest will be 5 in Feburary and my baby is 4 months
My first born was 6 months when i got pregnant with my second
I’m 13mo postpartum and 8 weeks pregnant 😁
My mom and aunt are 10 months apart which is kind of unique that my mom and aunt are the same age for around 2 months! 🙃🥰 thats the closest I know of. My sister and I are 14 months apart. And I am pregnant with my first but have heard this statistic before and will keep that in mind when thinking about having my next baby. But as you said some situations are different and some things cant be planned and happen how they happen. So I appreciate you saying that! 🥰👏
My girls are 16 months apart. Struggled with infertility and took 2 rounds of ivf to have our first. Then found out I was pregnant at 8 months pp. This year has been so hard with two under two. But I’m glad I got to experience a spontaneous pregnancy bc who knows when we would have gone back to RE for baby #2?!
My son is 15 months and I am 4 weeks away from having my second. It was not planned, I was hoping to wait 18 months but the universe and God had different plans for me. 😂 It’s been hard being pregnant with a crazy little one but I’m hoping it’s only hard for a few years then it gets easier? Maybe that’s wishful thinking. Hahaha😂 I’m so proud and grateful for my body for being able to do this twice!!
15 months 😅
I’ve had kids every year for the last 3 yrs🥴 oldest is 2, middle 18 months amd the last one 4 weeks. Its been a crazy ride, lucky to have had safe deliveries
My sisters step mom had Irish twins… except the first pregnancy was actually twins so she has twin girls and a boy 11 months apart
I had 3 under 4. So every time my baby was 12 months old I got pregnant with my next baby! The age gaps between my 1st and 2nd and 2nd and 3rd are both 21 months and I love having them all close in age!!
My little girl and her brother are 2.5 years apart- we LOVED that gap! She was potty trained and sleeping in a toddler bed before he came. We always planned for a third, but I’m pregnant a lot earlier than expected. Little guy and the new baby will be 18-19mos apart 😳🤪🤷🏽♀️
I got pregnant with my second when my first was 14 months. Second birth and postpartum recovery was WAY quicker and way easier.
7 months between pregnancies😅 My girls will be 16 months apart when #2 is born in March! She was a BIG surprise but we’re excited to meet her😄🙌🏼💗
My oldest is almost 15 months and im expecting any day now! Wish me luck lol
First daughter was an embryo adoption after years of infertility and thinking we couldn’t get pregnant on our own. Surprise! Her sister was born 17 months later, and surprise 2 (current pregnancy) will be 13 months after her. Will have 3 under 3. It’s been a crazy ride for sure 😆
Just going to send this to everyone pressuring me for baby 2 🙈
So when you say 12-18 months between pregnancies, does that mean waiting to get pregnant 12-18 months after delivery? Or 12-18 months from when first pregnant with the last baby? Newbie here… assuming the former but I’ve heard this a couple of times and want to confirm as we start family planning
18 months between deliveries or 18 months between being pregnant?
There is also some concern that spacing too close increases the risk of autism; the current theory is that the increased risk is due to nutrient depletion in the mother— not enough time for maternal nutrient stores to build back up!
Is that 18months from the end of one pregnancy to the start of the next or the end of one to the delivery of the next?
Just to be clear: does this mean 18 months between deliveries or 18 months between delivery and subsequent pregnancy?
My son was 18 months old when our twins were born. It’s super crazy and I don’t recommend it without a good support system 😅 But I love that my eldest had a relatively easy transition since he was too young to care at that point. He’ll only ever remember having siblings and when they’re all older, they’ll all at least have each other.