It is one of the most common questions that arise between mothers who decide to have a second. Experts recommend waiting for the return to normality to face a new pregnancy.
Women need to recover physically and psychologically, and allowing the time needed to retrieve the body that is modified during pregnancy. From the medical point of view, the time advised between the time of giving birth and return to conceive is 18 to 23 months. Of course, it depends on whether the previous delivery by cesarean section or occurred naturally.
If it was a natural birth, the time between pregnancies might be lower; about 12 months or so. During this period, the woman’s body can return to normal and be prepared to face a second pregnancy.
Conversely, if the previous birth took place through a cesarean section it is advisable to pass between 18 to 24 months for the uterus to recover; as there is a risk of uterine rupture or cause other complications such as maternal anemia, premature rupture of membranes or bleeding during the second pregnancy. In the case of having suffered a miscarriage, one interval of less than six months is not recommended.
Besides the aspects related to the health of mother, we must not forget that other factors such as the maturity of the first baby, the physical exhaustion caused by having to look after several babies, family status or economic costs, which will influence a decisive decision to go for the second child.