quick clicks

pregnancy today articles

pregnancy today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

How Close Is Too Close?

The Pros and Cons
of Back-to-back Pregnancies

By Teri Brown

• Economics (increased cost of another baby, missed work, health care costs)
• Interpersonal issues (between a couple, worries about the effect on the previous child)
• Nutritional depletion (i.e., increased incidence of anemia)

Women who wish to have their children close together should space them more than a year apart and take care between pregnancies to increase their own health and stamina. This takes more time for some women than for others.

"There is not a magic date as to when a body is recovered," says Schorn. "Most women are physically doing well by six weeks after birth, but it takes more time to lose their pregnancy weight, increase their exercise strength, improve their body tone (abdominal and pelvic floor muscles particularly) and begin or increase sexual activity.

Nutrition is a big part of recovering from your first pregnancy and preparing for your second. Schorn says there is an increased need for iron to help replace the iron lost from bleeding during and following birth. This is best obtained from an iron-rich diet that includes animal sources (meat and fish) and vegetable sources (spinach, lentils, avocados, oats, wheat germ, brewer's yeast, dried beans and peas), certain seaweeds available in health food stores, dried fruit and nuts.

"Iron from animal sources is used more efficiently compared to vegetable sources," says Schorn. "Foods high in vitamin C increase iron absorption, so citrus fruits and other foods high in vitamin C increase absorption. Protein is needed for tissue repair." According to Schorn, calcium intake also should be increased during pregnancy and increased even more postpartum for as long as the woman is breastfeeding.

Want to see more?

• Child Spacing: The Art and Science
• The Difference Between Having Your First, Second and Third Child
• Postpartum Depression: Helping Yourself Helps Your Family
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!