Is It Too Soon to Think About Baby #2?

I had a c-section and my midwife told me to wait one year from the c-section before trying to conceive. All the best to you!!!!

I can't remember where, but I recently read a study that listed complications from having babies too close together. I think it recommended waiting a year. You might google it and see if you can find anything.

the chance of uterine rupture is definitely higher the closer your kids are together. most health providers recommend the minimum to be 18 months apart when you've had a c/section. and the farther apart, usually the safer. i know someone who ended up with a uterine rupture when her kids were 15 months apart.

but after having children #2 & #3 14 months apart, it's definitely doable. hard at first, but actually easier later on. i'll update you in the teenage years. :)

They like to tell you to wait until 9month PP when you've had a c-section to make sure you're healed properly. I however got a + at 6month and 3weeks, it was my fist cycle not avoiding! My son will be exactly 15months older than his brother but has no idea that he has a brother on the way. I'm hoping that means that the jealousy will be next to nothing since he's probably not going to remember a time without little brother. The hardest part about being pregnant is that I'm 4.5weeks away from my scheduled c-section and I feel bad about not being able to pick my son up when he wants. We do a lot of playing on the floor. Oh and I'm so thankful that he started walking early only now he giggles and runs off when I ask him to come to me. I'm so excited though and honestly if the beginning baby months with #2 go well I'd really consider doing this again for #3!

Oh I wanted to add that the reason I ended up with a c-section was because #1 was so large he was completely stuck. But I was offered a VBAC for #2 but with all the ultrasounds we've done he's looking bigger than #1 so that's why I've chosen an elective C this time. But my OB had no problem if I want to go natural it was completely my choice/decision.

I read an article recently that said the chance of a pre-term birth decreases significantly if you wait at least 12 months after the birth of your last child before conceiving again. Plus, you'll get to sleep and rest up for the next one!!!

Bless you, my daughter's only 13 1/2 months old and I'm just starting to think about another one. At 6 months my daughter was still not sleeping through the night and there was no way I was going to think about another one!

I had an emergency c seaction11/30/05 and was instructed to wait a year to try, but I got pregnant 6 months later( A SURPRISE AND A BLESSING) sooner than we wanted, but all turned out fine and we did another csection for safety. I would just check with your OB for sure.Good Luck! L.:)

It's best to talk to your OBGYN about this, but I was instructed after my emergency C-Section wait a minimum of 12 months.

Your situation may be different, so consult your doc.

Good LUCK!

Consult your doc about it, but I've heard from quite a few sources that it's a good idea to wait two years to have another baby. Of course, I also know several women who've had great success having their kids closer together. If you're considering a VBAC you might really wanna consider waiting to increase your odds of having a healthy vaginal birth. If your considering VBAC check ICAN (international cesarean awareness network) you'll find loads of helpful info.
Best Wishes!

I had some fertility problems and it took me 1-1/2 years to get pregnant so we decided not to use contraceptives between kids. My second was born 16 months later. It was like having twins--So much work and too little enjoyment. My third was born when my second one was 4-1/2 and it was so much fun. I highly recommend spacing. I treated baby #1 like a grown up. She didn't have enough baby time. One person can only do so much. For the sake of your dd (as well as your body), wait. She could use this time with you before you are too busy seeing to the baby to give her the adoration that she deserves.

Hi!

I am 38 and a mother of two. My eldest was born by c-section also. My doctor had advised me to wait until my girl was 16 months old until trying for another one. We did and my son was born naturally and I'm very happy.

good luck!

My Dr. says I should wait a year due to scar tissue. The scar tissue can interfere with the attachment and growth of the placenta and in some cases miscarriage. It's also good to get your nutrients built up again for the next one. Are you breast feeding? So physically I would wait a bit more...time goes by so quickly if your anxious....babies are a beautiful thing!

Congrats on becoming a mommy! As for baby #2, if you don't mind having another c-section, your uterus should be able to support another pregnancy after one year. If you want to try for a vbac, you should wait 18 months.

This is what my doctor told me, BTW. You should definitely check with your own doctor, as everyone is different.

Good luck!!

M.,

I have been in your shoes. I had a baby girl 17 years ago by c-section at 33 weeks, it was due to cord being around her neck and I was anemic. I then got married just over 2 years ago and had another baby, who is 18 months old now and had gestational diabetes and she was deliverd c-section at 36 weeks. Then, just as I was released from my OB's care after that delivery, I found out I was once again pregnant. I had another baby girl, born by c-section at 36 weeks and had gestational diabetes again with that pregnancy. I would not recommend to anyone to have them this close, but, it is nice at times. I am extremely tired but, they will be close as they grow up. All my deliveries were emergency c-sections and I would not change that for anything. For 7 weeks and 3 days of every year, my two youngest will be the same age. We started with them both drinking bottles and in diapers. The 18 month old has been drinking out of sippy cups since she was a year, her choice, thankfully. They are both in diapers still, but, that will change soon. The 7 month old will start sippy cups next month, so hopefully by the time she is a year old she will be off the bottle also.

You have to talk with your doctor and your husband and make the decision yourself. What works for one will not necessarily work for another. By the way, I was 20 when I had the 17 year old, 36 with #2 and 37 with #3. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do. It will be right for you.

K. C.

You should check with your OBGYN, who would know particular information that is specific to you. If the dr. says okay and your husband is okay with it, I would go for it, since this is something you would like to do. Very best of luck to you.

They say to wait a year for your body to go back to "normal", but what is normal after a baby?? LOL I know my mom did not wait a year because my bro and I are a year and a week apart. I think that was just how they "popped" them out back in the day, but we know more now. Check with your gyno to be sure, but it is probably best to wait a year.

Hi M., I know this will sound crazy, but you may still be in the euphoria or zombieland of a newborn. I would give myself a chance to recover and spend some time with this little angel. There is no need to rush into having another child. They need the attention, and your husband may need the attention too. For sure you body is not recovered. I was a Mom at 32 and 35 so it can be done.
had c sections too... give your self a break and let things happen more naturally. have fun, Deb

My friend, who also had a c-section, was told by her doctor that they would not allow her to have a vaginal birth within 2 years of a c-section (I'm sure not sure WHY though). So she ended up having a planned c-section for the second one since it had only been about 18 months since the first one. If that isn't a problem for you then I would say go for it! Also, your doctor may say something different, so check with him/her first!

talk to your ob but mine said to wait least 1 year after a c-section before trying again. I think because of the incision/scar on the uterus.

Hi, My cousin had 6 children c-section the doctors told her to stop after 3 and she wanted more. She was fine with all of them and some of them were close together. I think it depends on how you feel physically. I had my last baby when I was 38 my mother had her last when she was 42. Both of us were healthy and had healthy children. Don't let the doctors scare you about your age. My friend, friend had a healthy baby at 52 and everything went well. I think if you eat right take vitamins when needed and exercise you will be just fine. Good luck. -M. R

M.,
Doctors will tell you, especially after having a csect, to wait at least 2 years to let your body heal completely before trying to have another child. You can talk to your doctor about having another one so soon and see what they say or just let Mother Nature take her own course. Bouncing back from having a child is a rough road as it is but when they are so close, your body has a hard time recovering. I had my 2 oldest 18 months apart and my oldest was only 10 months when I got pregnant with my second one. Talk to your doctor and see what they say and go from there. Good Luck! I hope this helps.
R. M

Is she crawling yet? With both my girls I was so in love I wanted another one, but when they started to crawl at 5 1/2 months I thought thank god I didn't get pregnant right away. When they become mobile it a whole nether story. They ended up being 2 yrs and 10 months apart. My baby just turned one and I plan on waiting another 8 months to try for the last one.

Hello M.,

So happy you enjoy being a Mom... it's an awesome experience. And being pregnant is all a part of the excitement.

Your body is healing from the C-Section. My dr told me to wait a year for another healthy birth after I had mine.

Mother Nature takes her time so you can enjoy your little girl... this will be the only chance she gets to be #1. Blessings to you... your road to parenthood has just begun!!!

hi M.,

i have not read the other responses, so forgive me if this info is repeat. i have heard doctors recommend to women that they wait at least two years after having a cesarean birth before going for another one. the reasoning behind this is to give the incision time to heal completely; otherwise, the possibility of a rupture at the incision site goes up.

i personally think this is a good idea, and even if you conceive at 35, that is not an unreasonable age to have a child. in regards to considering a big family, keep in mind that doctors very strongly recommend against having more than three cesareans, for the mother's health.

this brings up the possibility of a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). it is highly controversial in the medical field, but for liability reasons and not medical reasons. properly healed and with no other complications, a woman can have a VBAC NO PROBLEM!! i believe that this is most beneficial for both baby and mom, especially if you want to have more babies. it may be more difficult to find a health care practitioner that is supportive of your desire to have a VBAC, but remember, you are the (paying) patient (customer), and you should receive the medical care you desire.

i hope that helps, and i wish you the best of luck and health!!

- J.

General rule of thumb is that it takes a woman's body at least a year to recuperate from pregnancy. Your body has been nourishing this little one for 9 months. Even with pre-natal vitamins that process takes a toll on you. There has been a great strain on your back, your organs have been cramped-there's a lot that happens to a woman's body during pregnancy. On top of that there is the stress of no sleep with a newborn. It takes a long time to recover just from sleep depravation. Here's a link to a great book on recovery from pregnancy. You can read a good bit of it online to get an idea of what it's about. In addition, think of how much your daughter needs you right now. How are you going to be able to give her the attention she deserves with another one on the way right now? Think how tired you were when you were pregnant with her. It's going to be that much harder the second time around with a little one to look out for. You are not too old to wait a bit.
Be safe.
A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health By Dean Raffelock, Robert Roundtree, Virginia Hopkins, Melissa Block
http://books.google.com/books?id=B8tUfKAwNV8C&dq=year...

i know this really depends on your body type, but my mother started having kids at 31 and had her sixth at 45! personally i would never want that many, but you have all that energy stored up you know, so its a possibility! and i know from experience that chronological age is nothing compared to how your body can handle things. youre really only as old as you feel! listen to your body, but still keep in mind the tips from the doc, and see what it tells you!

I am your age and now have an 11 month old. I went through wanting a second right away when my DD was 5-7 months. And boy, am I glad we waited. For me, the second she got busy crawling, then walking our whole world changed. I know everyone is different, but for me, I am loving spending all of my time with this little person who is growing and changing everyday and it makes me want to wait a little longer before bringing another little person into our family. On another note, my sister did all 4 of her kids back to back and is happy as could be....although exhausted :)

Why not? What the heck! Go for it!

Yes, give your body at least a year to recover. Remember you will have a toddler at the time a new baby is born if you conceive now. I had an emergency C Section with my third child (the first two were natural and pretty easy). I had a five year starting kindergarten, an autistic deaf three year old and a baby and a C Section. WIthout my mother and mother-in-law's help I would have been overwhelmed. Then when I was beginning to feel better three months later, my back went out and I needed help again. Thank heavens I have a supportive family. In fact, I would recommend at least two years. After just the one surgery I had adhesions later. With two C Sections it could get a lot worse. But for all moms out there, the records that I know of for C Sections is eleven! That was either one very crazy mama or a very determined one. Good luck.

I got prego with my second when my 1st was 8mo. There aren't any risks with having babies that close according to both my dr from baby #1 and my dr with baby #2.
In fact, this pregnancy has been easier and healthier than my first. I had blood pressure and issues with the baby growing in prego #1, and none this time!!!

GOod luck!

Hi,

I had two c-sections 14 months apart. (I unintentionally became pregnant with my second when my first was just six months old.) I experienced an allergic reaction to tincture of benzoine (an adhesive agent), which was applied to my abdomen, in my second c-section that drove me crazy for about six weeks, but I don't think that I first c-section caused complications in my second.

I would have preferred to have waited a bit longer, maybe another year, to have my second, but I can't complain. People tell me that raising kids so close in age gets easier as the kids get older.

Lynne E

I had an emergency c-section with my first child.
My Doctor said to wait at least 12 months, minimum, before trying again. My 2nd baby was also a c-section, per my choice.
You need to ask your OB/GYN about this and go according to the Doctor.

Even with a regular delivery, it takes the body 1 year to re-adjust itself. With a c-section, you are talking about layers of muscle/tissue and the uterus having to heal again and mend. All of these "layers" are sutured back after a c-section. In some cases, yes, you don't want uterine rupturing.

I would say, that 6 months is too soon.

Just ask your Doctor, as it seems to vary.
take care,
Susan