Contents:
- Medical Video: 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE HAVING A 2ND BABY
- What should be considered before becoming pregnant with a second child?
- 1. Maternal health during pregnancy
- 2. Family financial situation
- 2. Age of mother during pregnancy
- 3. What about your partner?
- 4. What about your first child?
Medical Video: 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE HAVING A 2ND BABY
It feels like I want to have more children. Eits ... but wait, are you and your partner ready to add another baby? Including, is your child ready to have a younger sibling?
Having more than one child may be a dream for many couples. However, it turns out that a lot must be considered before you decide when to have more children. Remember, in your small family now there are little ones who might need to be considered too.
What should be considered before becoming pregnant with a second child?
When is the right time to have a second child? The answer depends on you and your partner. This is not only about having more children, but also about changes in your family. Things must be considered before having a second child, such as maternal health, family finances, readiness of your first child to receive new family members, and much more.
1. Maternal health during pregnancy
Some families may want the distance between children not far away so that the first child has a playmate and is not lonely. Some may think that the greater the age of the first child when having a younger sibling, the better. But what about your health, is your body ready to get pregnant again? Because, what all mothers want is of course optimal health during pregnancy.
Your body needs time to prepare for pregnancy again. After the birth of the first child, your body needs time to recover, save energy and nutrients again before becoming pregnant with a second child. Maybe your body needs about 2-3 years after the birth of the first child so that your pregnancy and second child are born healthy.
Research on when to get the best time for you to get pregnant again might be your input.
Research shows that the distance of 18-23 months from the birth of the first child can be the best time to get pregnant again. A distance of less than 18 months can increase the risk of your second baby being born prematurely and having a low body weight. The highest risk is at a distance of less than 6 months from the birth of the first child.
The distance that is too far away seems less good. Research shows that a distance of 5 years from the first child also increases the risk of premature babies and low weight.
2. Family financial situation
Although money is not everything, but you definitely want a stable financial condition when there are new members in your family. The more family members in your home, of course, the more your expenses. So you should take into account your financial condition before deciding to have more children.
If you work, take into account your work. Many mothers are unable to work after having children. If you have one child, are pregnant with a second child, and also work, are you able to do all that? If you stop working, can your financial condition support all of your family's needs?
2. Age of mother during pregnancy
The age of the mother during pregnancy actually greatly affects the condition of her pregnancy. If you are almost 40 years old, maybe you should get pregnant again if you want a second child. So, the distance that is too close to your first child may be the second problem.
However, if you are still around 30 years old and have no health problems, you can still consider well when to have more children.
3. What about your partner?
Is your partner ready to have another child? Sometimes you and your partner have a different voice to determine how many children you want and when it is right to have another child. It's best to discuss well when you and your partner are really ready to add new members to your small family.
4. What about your first child?
Accepting new members in your family may not be an easy thing for your first child. Sometimes children feel like they are always loved and cared for by their parents, so that when a new member arrives, he feels unrivaled because his parents' attention and affection are divided.
Therefore, Jeannie Kidwell, a family professor from the University of Tennessee, argues that the best time to have more children is when the first child is less than 1 year or more than 4 years old. Why? Because according to him, a baby who is not 1 year old does not yet have an exclusive feeling, so he does not feel rivaled and can accept new members. Meanwhile, children who are more than 4 years old are considered to have received enough attention from both parents, have been able to be understood, and have been able to carry out their own activities.
The conclusion is that whenever the time, only you and your partner can determine when the best time to have another child. Don't forget to consider the readiness of your first child to be able to accept new members in the family.
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