When to plan a second child. Planning a second pregnancy: where to start a woman. Optimal break between pregnancies

In order for the second pregnancy to be successful, the couple must be fully prepared for this important event. The desire of both partners will speed up the preparation process. This implies not only physiological, but also psychological readiness for the birth of a second baby.

When to start planning

If your first pregnancy was relatively normal and there were no complications during childbirth, you can think about the second baby in a couple of years. But, at the same time, it is necessary to take into account the speed of recovery of the body, as well as the features of the course of the rehabilitation period.

After 2-3 years, the body's reserves will be fully restored, the hormonal background will be in order, and the uterus will be ready to bear the baby.

But this is only if your first pregnancy went well, and the birth was not complicated by a caesarean section. Otherwise, it is better to wait at least five years.

After giving birth, consult your gynecologist regarding the method of contraception. It is highly undesirable for pregnancy to occur in the first year after the birth of the first child. This can lead to premature birth, as well as various complications during pregnancy, because the body has not had time to recover.

However, this should not be delayed, because pregnancy and childbirth after 30 years, when the body has already accumulated fatigue and chronic diseases have appeared, can proceed with complications.

In addition, if the difference between the children is more than 8 years, your body will perceive your pregnancy as the first, which is associated with the extinction of the “dominant of pregnancy”, which is responsible for the formation of the birth process.

• About six months before the intended conception, get rid of all bad habits. This applies to both partners. Start a healthy lifestyle together, go to the gym, and walk more often in the fresh air. Gymnastics, yoga, swimming or cycling are best suited.
• Pass all the tests together and go through a thorough medical examination. And for the future mother, an additional consultation of a gynecologist-endocrinologist is needed. If there is excess weight, you need to get rid of it.
• Your diet should be balanced and of high quality. Get rid of the habit of eating fatty, salty and spicy foods, reduce the use of strong drinks - tea, coffee and forget about fast food.
• Remember that you need to help your body as much as possible to accept a new pregnancy and endure it safely. If you had a caesarean section, you need to undergo a series of additional examinations. In this case, it will be mandatory to study the scar on the uterus. It is advisable that your pregnancy was managed by the same gynecologist as the first time.
• If you are Rh negative and your first child is Rh positive, you will need a procedure before pregnancy to clear the blood of accumulated antibodies.
• When planning a pregnancy, it is very important not to forget about your first child and carefully prepare it in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings.

In the second pregnancy, the mood for successful development is very important and you absolutely do not need to hide your anxiety and fear. If necessary, you can make an appointment with a psychologist. This will contribute to a positive attitude, relieve anxiety and help to properly prepare the family for the arrival of the child, as well as the older baby for the arrival of a brother or sister.

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When to plan a second pregnancy

A lot of researches of sociologists, child psychologists, teachers are devoted to the issue, but I will allow myself to dwell only on medical aspects.

Obviously, after the birth of the first child, serious changes take place in the mother's body. First of all, you need to recover after childbirth. Since during pregnancy all internal organs and vital systems work with a greater load, the hormonal background changes significantly. Childbirth itself is a stress for the body, although planned by nature. Then follows the process of lactation formation and again changes in hormonal regulation, not to mention the fact that all this happens against the backdrop of a restructuring of the daily routine, psychological and physical stress associated with the new role of a woman.

In other words, it is obvious that until a complete “self-rehabilitation” of the body occurs, you should not think about a second pregnancy. A woman can answer for herself whether she is ready to go through pregnancy and childbirth again. But from a medical point of view, the optimal interval between pregnancies should be considered 2-3 years. It is this time that is enough to restore the body's reserves and prepare for a subsequent pregnancy.

Is it worth planning a new pregnancy immediately after childbirth

A lot of publications are devoted to postpartum contraception. At present, good results have been achieved in this matter and there are alternative ones. This is important to consider, since the risk of an unplanned pregnancy in the first year after childbirth is quite high. Too short a break between childbirth is fraught with an excessive load for a woman, there is a high frequency of anemia in pregnant women, due to insufficient replenishment of iron and other trace elements, as a result - chronic hypoxia and fetal hypotrophy.

Inadequate restoration of the uterine mucosa with a short interval between childbirth and pregnancy is combined with an increase in the pathology of placental attachment, miscarriage, and the risk of bleeding. You can replenish the missing microelements through good nutrition and taking specialized multivitamin complexes. But, nevertheless, all this can lead to even more difficult recovery after the second birth, which will be exacerbated by the double burden of childcare.

Life often dictates to us the conditions when the birth of a second child occurs in 5, 10, 15 years. It is difficult to give any advice here, but, nevertheless, if you are thinking about the appearance of a second child in the family, then you should not postpone this event for a long time. When it comes to motherhood, time is key. Unfortunately, with age, a person tends to acquire various chronic diseases, and this is not only about somatic health. Reproductive potential decreases over time, various gynecological diseases appear, which, in turn, can lead to infertility and miscarriage. There are problems characteristic of: the risks of genetic pathology, complications during pregnancy and childbirth increase.

Some features of the second pregnancy and childbirth

A second pregnancy requires the same attention as the first. The increased workload associated with caring for the first child should not interfere with the examination, observation and implementation of medical recommendations. During repeated pregnancy, the observation algorithm and the examination plan do not differ, provided that the course is not complicated and in the absence of new risk factors.

The weakening of the abdominal muscles will contribute to the earlier appearance of the abdomen, so you should be prepared to use a birth bandage and special clothes for pregnant women. With insufficient physical fitness, with subsequent pregnancy, pain in the back and lower back, varicose veins of the lower extremities progress, fatigue accumulates faster. It is worth discussing with your loved ones the possibility of giving you more time to relax from family responsibilities, you should be in the fresh air more often, do not neglect the physical and, if necessary, wear special compression stockings.

It is known that in the case of an uncomplicated course of pregnancy, the second birth is easier than the first. And there are a number of explanations for this. First of all, it is the psychological readiness of a woman for childbirth. Knowing the sequence of the process, the ability to control your emotions, adequately follow the instructions of the doctor and midwife - everything together works with a positive return. The preparedness of the birth canal significantly reduces the time of the most painful first stage of labor, or the period of cervical dilatation. In this case, full opening is achieved faster and less painfully. The subsequent second period also, as a rule, takes less time, since the tissues of the vagina and the muscles of the pelvic floor are somewhat stretched earlier and contribute to the faster advancement of the baby's head through the birth canal. And the acquired ability to push properly and follow the recommendations of the midwife further accelerate the birth of a child.

In any case, it is accepted in the family together. Still, social factors play a big role. However, the medical aspects should not be discounted. Combining the burden of raising a firstborn along with other responsibilities and pregnancy is not an easy job that deserves the full attention and even more reverent attitude of all family members in order to ensure the greatest possible comfort and peace of mind for a woman.

After the birth of their first child, some parents want to have another. But not everyone understands how important this decision is.

The severity or simplicity of the first birth does not in any way affect subsequent pregnancy and childbirth. There are some features of the second pregnancy and childbirth. The main ones are discussed below:

Where to start preparing

Preparing for pregnancy is the first duty of a mother. After the birth of the first child, the expectant mother already knows what changes will be in the body, what is most important and what to pay attention to.

Even if pregnancy passes without complications, it causes changes in all body systems. Only competent pregnancy planning will help to insure against surprises.

Analyzes

When planning a second child, a woman needs to be examined by a doctor. He orders tests. Their list practically does not differ from the tests during the first pregnancy.

1. General blood analysis.
2. Smear.
3. Scraping research.
4. Analysis of urine.
5. Hormone analysis.
6. Ultrasound of the breast, pelvic organs, thyroid gland.

Planning for a second pregnancy

After a complete examination by a doctor, it is necessary to proceed to the next stage of planning - preparation for gestation.

Pay attention to the following factors:

1. Body mass. A woman should not be obese or overweight.
2. Serious illnesses.
3. Hormones.
4. Menstruation. The menstrual cycle should be regular.
5. Nutrition. Before pregnancy and during it, observe proper nutrition.

Possible contraindications

Unfortunately, not every woman is given the opportunity to re-experience the joy of motherhood. Such contraindications include:

1. Kidney disease.
2. Heart disease.
3. Back problems.
4. Not healed scar after caesarean.
5. Excess weight.
6. Not the right age.

How to conceive quickly a second time

Doctors identify seven rules for the rapid conception of a child:

When is the best time to have a second child?

When planning a child, many think about the age of the woman and the first child. So how do you choose the right age?

best age

The best age for a woman depends on the following factors:

1. Physiology. Full recovery of the body after childbirth occurs in two and a half years.
2. Psychology. The mother should have time to recover psychologically after the first birth.
3. Age. If the interval between births is too small, then the chance of miscarriage increases significantly. But if you give birth too late, then the child may develop poorly.
4. Operational intervention. The scar after a caesarean section should heal well.

The difference between children

Doctors call a different optimal age difference between two children. Most of the psychologists stop at the opinion that the best difference between children is 3 years old. Thus, the mother will have time to recover from previous births, both morally and physically, and the children will have less conflict.

This indicator largely depends on individual characteristics.

What can interfere

Having given birth to their first child, many mothers and fathers want to keep going. However, such a decision should be carefully considered, because the baby should feel loved and needed. When to get pregnant with a second child from a medical and everyday point of view?

When is the best time to get pregnant?

Married couples often postpone the decision to have not only a second, but also a first child due to housing and financial problems. But you can always expect better times, when the salary becomes higher, and housing is more comfortable. Meanwhile, they may never come. Constant "buts" delay the decision. New job, contract, study, career; changes in living conditions, building a house - there are many reasons to postpone pregnancy with a second baby (and the first too). Each of them is a good excuse, but you can not postpone the appearance of heirs indefinitely!

Doctors have their own answer to the question of when to become pregnant with a second child. The best time from their point of view is up to 30 years. With age, it becomes more and more difficult to conceive and give birth to a baby, the likelihood of his birth decreases. But not only the biological aspect favors motherhood at this age. Young people have more energy and health to raise a whole “brood” of kids. In such a family there will be no lack of love, patience and time for relatives and loved ones.

What often happens in practice? The biological clock is ticking, and the maternal instinct remains unsatisfied. The desire to have a child for many is hindered by only one thing - the lack of a sense of stability and often - of one's own corner. Meanwhile, the house is, first of all, the relatives with whom you live, and not just a comfortable room. However, in any case, pregnancy - both with the first baby and subsequent ones - must be conscious, and the decision about it is agreed with the partner.

What is the best interval between the first and second pregnancies?

So, the first child has already been born. For many families, the only one is already enough, but there are those who dream of a whole crowd of children. Large families are usually happy. They sometimes lack money, but there is never a lack of love! If you are ready to say: “I want to have a second child!”, It remains only to decide when to start implementing the plan to replenish the family.

Parents have different opinions about when is the best time to get pregnant with their second child. Many people find it easier for children to get along when they have a small age difference. For example, there is a point of view according to which the best break between the first and second child is 1-3 years. Yes, it's always hard to babysit several at once, but the slight difference between siblings has its benefits. So, children at almost the same age understand each other better and get along because they have the same level of perception of reality, development of skills, etc.

Other mothers deliberately plan a longer gap between pregnancies and the birth of the first and second heirs in order to avoid many difficulties. Indeed, in an interesting position it is really difficult to look after a small child. In addition, when the second baby appears, the first-born will be more independent and will even be able to help to the best of his ability.

And many women do not even think when it is better to give birth to a second child: they are convinced that raising another son or daughter is too much stress, which they do not want to condemn themselves to. But the only child often feels lonely, he has no company for games. On the other hand, when, by the will of fate, more children appear, mothers then remember this time as very good, although they had to face considerable difficulties, including material ones. A family is a team in which children learn care, kindness and support, respect for other characters, learn to compromise and not be selfish. But all parents strive to raise their sons and daughters as good people.

Thus, doctors, answering the question of when to become pregnant with a second child, are advised not to delay. Parents, on the other hand, determine specific dates, focusing on a specific life situation.

Well, you can say that your life is good. You are the happy mother of the best baby in the world! The mission is completed - the little one was born, and now you need to educate and raise him. But it seems to you that something is missing - and, probably, this “something” is the second child that you really want. Well, your desire is commendable, but let's figure out when is the best time to plan a second pregnancy and have a second child?

What to consider when planning a second pregnancy?

When planning a second pregnancy, the following factors must be considered:

* State of the body. Pregnancy and childbirth is a huge stress and a huge burden for a woman, so she needs some time to recover and be ready for the “second run”.

* Psychological readiness. Pregnancy, childbirth and the subsequent care of a newborn is a huge burden on a woman, not only physically, but also psychologically. Therefore, the psychological and emotional readiness to go all this way again is very important.

* Age of firstborn. Probably, everyone has heard about children's jealousy, the degree of which depends not only on the upbringing of children in the family, but also on the age difference between children.

Body condition

Your body's readiness for a second pregnancy depends on many factors. This is the presence of chronic diseases, and the course of previous pregnancies and childbirth, and the duration of the recovery period after childbirth, and your age, as well as many other features.

The average interval that must pass between the first pregnancy and the second birth is at least 2-2.5 years. According to doctors, this is exactly the period of time when a woman's body is fully able to recover after childbirth (given that the woman is healthy, childbirth and pregnancy were normal, and the recovery period was also normal). What makes up such a number?

Let's calculate: a minimum of 12 months of breastfeeding to ensure the health of the baby (many new mothers breastfeed longer), 9 months for the mother to recover from pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, and 9 months for a second pregnancy.

In addition, by the age of two, breastfeeding, in most cases, has already been stopped - after all, to put it mildly, combining breastfeeding with a new pregnancy is quite problematic.

As for other situations, women whose pregnancy was accompanied by complications (preeclampsia, threatened miscarriage or premature birth, etc.) should increase the interval between births and plan a second pregnancy only with the permission of a doctor.

If your birth was by caesarean section, the recovery period will also be longer, which means that you will have to plan a second pregnancy later. Usually, a scar on the uterus after a caesarean section heals completely in 1.5-2 years. It is during this period that the scar on the uterus, consisting of connective tissue, is replaced by muscle fibers - and the uterus becomes functionally ready for a new pregnancy. Pregnancy after caesarean section is best planned after 2.5-4 years.

If your first child was born with some health problems, before planning a second pregnancy, it is necessary to undergo a complete examination and, if necessary, treatment. In most cases, congenital health problems in a child appear as a result of health problems in the parents.

And, of course, it is necessary to plan a second pregnancy taking into account your age - after all, the risks of pregnancy and childbirth complications only increase over the years.

Psychological readiness

Everyone has heard about postpartum depression, emotional exhaustion and the perception of motherhood. And all these criteria must also be taken into account when deciding when it is better to plan a second pregnancy.

It is known that postpartum depression (if it takes place) in a young mother passes, on average, after 2 weeks-2 months. Agree, not such a long time, although, of course, its duration depends on many factors.

But as for the other criteria, everything is not so clear-cut here. Surely, you remember your feelings when you found out that you would be a mother, and your emotional state in the first weeks after childbirth. The thought that you became a mother was both pleasing and frightening at the same time, and emotions went wild. Are you ready to experience it all again? And sleepless nights and permanent diapers and diapers?

Psychological readiness for a second pregnancy is a very delicate question, and there is no exact answer to it. After all, you can not predict how it will be specifically for you. Perhaps there will be fewer fears - after all, you already know how to handle a newborn, what he needs, and what you need to pay attention to. But what to do if your first experience of pregnancy and motherhood, on the contrary, exhausted you so emotionally that you do not want to repeat it?

In this regard, you need to plan a second pregnancy only when you yourself decide that you are completely ready for this psychologically. Also, don't forget about hormonal changes and associated mood changes. It can also happen that what you most want now will become hateful to you as soon as pregnancy comes.

Age of firstborn

From the point of view of child psychologists, the optimal difference between the ages of children is considered to be a difference of 4 years. The eldest child at this age is already quite independent and can sometimes even help his mother with the younger one.

As evidence, psychologists cite the following arguments. It will be difficult for children with a smaller difference to find a common language, and caring for two small children is problematic - the younger one is completely helpless, and the older one requires a lot of attention to himself.

If the age difference between children is more than 4 years, then you may encounter the most acute manifestations of childish jealousy. After all, closer to school age, children already like to be in the spotlight - and here the newborn will “destroy all the plans” of the elder! If the difference increases to 8-10 years, it is highly likely that the youngest child will grow up to be a universal darling and egoist, and the elder will lose his childhood because of the need to be a “third parent” for the youngest. And they will be able to overcome barriers in communication only in adulthood.

What else you need to pay attention to when planning a second pregnancy?

Having decided to give birth to a second baby, you need to decide for yourself what is more important for you - a career or self-realization in a family? After all, the birth of a child entails the need to be on maternity leave for a sufficiently long period, which not every employer will like. And if you give birth to a second child, the period of your disability increases! If your career is important to you, but you would also like to plan a second pregnancy - the ideal option for you would be to leave one decree for another - that is, give birth to a second child before the first three years. If a career is not an end in itself for you, you may well give birth when you are as ready for this as possible.

Another important issue that needs to be addressed when planning a second pregnancy is financial issues. I think you will not argue that planning a second pregnancy without some financial cushion is at least not serious? Yes, and placing two children in an apartment is a problem. It's one thing if the children are with a small age difference and same-sex - then you can just give them one room in your two-room "mansions" to be torn to pieces. And if children with a big difference in age and different sexes? What to do then? Therefore, be sure to consider the possibility of placing two children in your apartment.

Everyone knows how much money is spent on baby clothes, rattles, etc. If the difference between the children is not very big, the younger one can easily wear things for the older one, sleep in his crib and play with his toys, which the older one is no longer interested in. If you wait a long time for the second child, usually by the time of his birth, the dowry from the eldest was either safely distributed, or simply lost its appearance.

As you have already seen for yourself, to the question: “When is it better to plan a second pregnancy?” there is no clear answer. For some, this may be a period of time of 2 years, and for some, even ten years of “rest” will not be enough. Therefore, it is up to you to decide when to become a mother again! The main thing is to be guided by your feelings and think that your second baby will be happy to be born, whenever you ask him about it!