Menu
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Healthy Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Diets & Nutrition - Food Safety
    Nutrition
    healthy nutrition
    Recipes
    healthy recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    herbal remedies - herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    suppliments & remedies
    Vitamins
    ask-dr-weil_vitamins-supplements-herbs_vitamins-topnav
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    The Legacy Of Living Yes | Spontaneous Happiness | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Health Tips
    Healthy Drinks To Start Sipping | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Spontaneous Happiness
    blog_spontaneous-happiness_topnav
  • COVID-19
  • Dr. Weil Origins Skin Care
  • Marketplace
  • Healthy Aging
  • Podcasts
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
How Long Should You Wait Between Babies?
Subscribe
Press "Enter" to search
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Body, Mind & Spirit
  4. Pregnancy & Fertility

How Long Should You Wait Between Babies?

A friend was talking about pregnancy spacing and said she plans to have her children one right after the other. Is this safe or is it better to rest between children?

Andrew Weil, M.D. |October 2, 2014

pregnancy child
2 min

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about how long to wait after the birth of one child until conceiving again, although risks encountered during pregnancy are lowest when pregnancies are spaced two to four years apart.

I discussed your question with Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., an internationally recognized expert in the fields of integrative medicine, dietary supplements and women’s health, and an authority on botanical medicine. Dr. Low Dog notes that having children less than a year apart can put added physical strain on the mother. She adds that pregnancies less than 12 to 18 months apart can result in premature labor, smaller babies, and an increased risk of uterine rupture, requiring an emergency Cesarean section.

The latest study on this subject found that mothers with shorter "birth spacing" – that is, less than a year – were more likely to give birth prematurely and less likely to deliver after the normal 40 weeks of pregnancy. The researchers reviewed 454,716 birth records from the archives of the Ohio Department of Health on women who had given birth at least twice over a six-year period. Another risk seen with closely spaced children is increased incidence of autism in the second child.

On the other hand, waiting too long before a second pregnancy – five years or more – presents the risk of preeclampsia, high blood pressure induced by pregnancy. If not recognized and treated promptly, this condition can progress to eclampsia, convulsions that can lead to coma and can be life-threatening for both mother and child.

Dr. Low Dog also notes that statistics on pregnancy spacing are difficult to interpret because they reflect studies from many countries, including those where women are malnourished and have many children. In addition, advancing maternal age also increases some of the risks.

As noted above, another potential problem seen with closely spaced children is uterine rupture, especially in women who choose vaginal birth within 18 months after having had a child by Cesarean section. In addition, closely spaced pregnancies simply may not give the mother enough time to recover from the physical stress of the first one. Caring for one child while bearing another presents further problems, as both pregnancy and breastfeeding can deplete stores of nutrients including iron and folate. Women who get pregnant again before replacing those nutrients could compromise their own health and that of their babies.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Source:
Emily De Franco, et al  "Influence of interpregnancy interval on birth timing," BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.12891

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

Young pharmacist with a digital tablet in drug store checking medicines on the shelf
Pregnancy & Fertility

A Better Birth Control Pill?

Asian couple during visit at doctor's office, horizontal
Pregnancy & Fertility

A Contraceptive Danger?

Container for tubes of biochemical analyzer
Pregnancy & Fertility

A Magical Route to Pregnancy Via IVF?

home births safe
Pregnancy & Fertility

Are Home Births Safe?

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Information
  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Email Subscription
Trending Articles
Young pharmacist with a digital tablet in drug store checking medicines on the shelf
Pregnancy & Fertility

A Better Birth Control Pill?

Asian couple during visit at doctor's office, horizontal
Pregnancy & Fertility

A Contraceptive Danger?

Daily Tips
Mushrooms Are Amazing!
Health Tips

Mushrooms For Memory

Mushrooms In My Life: Some Notes From Dr. Weil
Health Tips

Mushrooms In My Life: Some Notes From Dr. Weil

  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

©Copyright2023 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com