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Getting pregnant againHaving another baby might be the last thing on your mind right now. But getting pregnant too soon after giving birth can be risky for both you and your baby. Becoming pregnant again within a year of giving birth increases the chance that your new baby will be born too soon. Babies that are born too soon can have health problems. Planning your next pregnancyPlanning your next pregnancy if you want more children — or preventing a pregnancy if you don't — is important. Spacing pregnancies at least 12 months apart will give your body time to fully recover. In the meantime, using reliable birth control is the best way to prevent pregnancy until you decide if and when to have another baby. Planning your next pregnancy if you want more children — or preventing a pregnancy if you don't — is important. Spacing pregnancies at least 12 months apart will give your body time to fully recover. In the meantime, using reliable birth control is the best way to prevent pregnancy until you decide if and when to have another baby. Women who have just given birth should wait three weeks before using birth control that contains both estrogen and progestin. This includes the pill, the patch, and vaginal ring. Using these methods in the early weeks after giving birth increases the risk of dangerous blood clots. Wait six weeks to use birth control with both estrogen and progestin if you delivered by c-section or have other risk factors for blood clots. These risk factors include obesity, history of blood clots, smoking, or preeclampsia. Women have many good choices for birth control after giving birth. Keep in mind that breastfeeding alone isn't a foolproof way to prevent pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about your birth control options. All material contained on these pages are free of copyright restrictions and maybe copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated. Page last updated: February 22, 2021
If you want more than one kid, it may seem convenient to have them back to back. However, improper "pregnancy spacing"— or the amount of time between pregnancies — can affect the health of both the mother and the fetus. Here's what you need to know about how soon after giving birth you can get pregnant. You should wait at least 18 monthsHow long you should wait between pregnancies mostly depends on how you delivered the previous baby. If a baby is delivered naturally, through the vagina, at 39 weeks, or full-term, then the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends you should wait 18 months before the start of your next pregnancy. If you delivered the baby via C-section, the ACOG recommends waiting 24 months before conceiving again. Especially if you want to try a natural birth for your next pregnancy. Giving birth before 24 months increases your risk of uterine rupture — a rare situation where the uterus tears and could threaten the life of the mother and the fetus if medical aid isn't given immediately. What can happen if you don't wait to get pregnant againIf you don't give your body enough time to recover before getting pregnant again, it increases your risk for all types of complications during your next pregnancy including:
"Your body just isn't ready, if you get pregnant too soon after delivery," says Hector Chapa, MD, an OB-GYN and clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. Adding that oddly enough, waiting too long to get pregnant again may pose a risk. Waiting to give birth again for more than 5 years can also come with pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure. Therefore, the ideal spacing between pregnancies is the sweet spot between 18 months to 5 years for the best pregnancy outcomes, Chapa says. If you had a complicated pregnancy you'll need to wait longerChapa points out that pregnancy spacing is entirely different for women with chronic medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, which can develop after pregnancy. "If you're not under good medical control, that is going to affect your medical clearance of when you can get pregnant again," Chapa says. The timeline for these conditions varies for every woman and strongly depends on the medical condition and age of the mother. Postpartum preeclampsia, for example, can present within one to six weeks after giving birth where the mother's blood pressure should be closely monitored. If the condition resolves quickly, she may still be safe to get pregnant in 18 to 24 months. But it's different for each woman and they should consult a doctor about the safest pregnancy spacing. For gestational diabetes, women should get tested six to twelve weeks after giving birth and then every one to three years — especially because having gestational diabetes increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Once these conditions resolve, however, Chapa says it is safe to get pregnant. Just because you can get pregnant doesn't mean you shouldThere's a myth that once you start ovulating, it's a sign that your body is ready to carry another fetus. Women can start ovulating within a few months after giving birth. But Chapa says this doesn't mean the body is recovered from the first pregnancy. Moreover, don't assume that just because you're breastfeeding that you can't get pregnant. Yes, breastfeeding does delay ovulation and, consequently, your ability to get pregnant. But ovulation is still possible within months of giving birth — especially if the baby is not solely breastfed at least every four to six hours. "It is less probable to ovulate during exclusive breastfeeding, but it is not impossible," Chapa says. "Your chance to ovulate increases as breastfeeding decreases and the months go by after birth." And as for having sex after giving birth, medical experts recommend you wait four to six weeks after delivery, or — if your vaginal area has stitches — wait for that area to heal first. Of course, once sexual activity resumes it is important to consider a form of birth control to properly space pregnancies. Related stories about pregnancy:
Sarah Allen is a freelance writer for Insider. Read more Read less What are the risks of getting pregnant 3 months after giving birth?Researchers found that infants born to women who conceived less than six months after giving birth had a 40% increased risk for being born prematurely and a 61% increased risk of low birth weight, compared with infants born to mothers who waited 18 months to two years between pregnancies.
Are you more fertile after having a baby?Various reputable sources of medical information, such as WebMd, state that the prior births do not “reset” a woman's fertility,asserting that the notion is a myth.
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How long after giving birth can you get pregnant again
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