Based on the study findings, they suggest the optimal time between giving birth and getting pregnant again is 18 months, with a range of 12 to 24 months.
Medium gap (two to four years)
With this gap, you'll have the lowest risk of having preterm birth and a low birth weight baby (Zhu, 2005).
A gap of 3 years or more greatly reduces the chances of sibling rivalry. By this time the older child is secure in him or herself and quite independent. In addition, the mother's body is fully recovered from the challenges of pregnancy and birth of the first child.
2 year age gap pros and cons. A lot of families who hope to have two or more children aim for a two year age gap as the best age gap between siblings. They're close enough in age to play together but it's slightly less of a shock to the system than tackling two under two (at least in theory)!
One third of all couples conceive within about 18 months after the birth of their previous child, making the median age interval between children 24-29 months. Although shorter age gaps are more common than larger age gaps, 5% of births occur with age intervals as large as 10 years.
Based on the study findings, they suggest the optimal time between giving birth and getting pregnant again is 18 months, with a range of 12 to 24 months. That said, many experts still adhere to the recommendation of 18 to 24 months.
Having two children is good for your health
Three different studies looked at thousands of older adults and found the same thing: two kids was the sweet spot for health. The risk of an early death increases by 18% for parents of an only child. Also, the risk is higher for parents of three or more kids.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises against getting pregnant within 6 months of giving birth to your little one—and many providers say that waiting 18 months or so after delivering a baby is the “sweet spot” for you to get pregnant again.
When people refer to Irish twins, it's important to recognize that although the siblings are close in age, they are not actually twins. In other words, they were not born during the same gestational period. Calling them Irish twins is just an informal way of classifying siblings that are born close together.
Sometimes your love for your firstborn child feels so all-consuming that it's hard to imagine having enough to give your second child. But love is boundless, and even if you get off to a slow start with your second, you'll soon find your heart is big enough to love all your children, no matter how many you have.
Possible benefits of a 3-year age gap
According to some research, you may have the lowest risk of labor complications when you have your second baby around three years after your first. Pregnancy may carry less risk for you and your baby.
Siblings 4-5 years apart might be close or might have pretty separate lives. I've seen it go both ways both in the younger years and as adults with this sibling age gap.
The 4-5 year age gap is definitely the easiest option. Once a child gets to four they suddenly get much easier. They understand everything and they generally have more patience and are very independent, so you've got much more time to look after the baby.
6 years isn't too much of an age gap to not like the same things. Now that Birch can talk and run, the games they have in common have increased – especially open-ended, imaginative play, builds developmental skills for both of them despite their age difference!
In that sense, we can generally place the female reproductive years between 12 and 51 on average. Of course, as women age, the odds of conceiving also gradually lower. The ideal childbearing age is often considered to be in the late 20s and early 30s. Pregnancies later in life could come with some health risks.
Scientists have found that the age gap between siblings affects their relationship with their sibling and parents. Children who are closer in age usually have a closer relationship, according to education.com. For one Fenton woman and her sister, that's true.
It's technically possible for two siblings to be as close as 9 or 10 months apart. After your pregnancy comes to an end, you'll start ovulating again before you have your first postpartum period.
Yet the newest pregnancy always seems to be harder than the one before it. While every pregnancy is different, it is not uncommon to find your second or subsequent pregnancy more challenging.
Some couples find it easier to get pregnant the second time around (maybe because they are already familiar with their unique ovulation patterns), but for many couples, it takes longer to get pregnant the second time. In fact, secondary infertility is more common than primary infertility.
Second babies are easier to deliver than first babies. Why? Lots of reasons: Our uteruses get smarter and figure out how to do the job. All the muscles, tissues and bones have already stretched out making it easier for the baby to descend.
To reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and other health problems, research suggests waiting 18 to 24 months but less than five years after a live birth before attempting your next pregnancy.
Two kids require more time, more attention, and more energy than one, which means you have less of all of those to spend on each other. Date nights, romantic evenings, and even casual conversations are harder to come by. You also have more things to disagree on.
With your first kid, it sort of seems like everything takes forever, but the second go-around, you realize just how quickly time passes, for better or worse. Two kids often means twice as many hard parts, but it also means twice as many magical opportunities to watch the little people you love learn and grow.