What is birth spacing?
Healthy birth spacing is waiting at least 18 months after giving birth before trying to get pregnant again.
Why wait at least 18 months?
- Women who wait until their child is at least 18 months old before becoming pregnant the next time make a healthier choice for their baby.
Benefits for the new baby:
- The baby has a better chance of being born on time and not too early.
- The baby has a better chance to have a healthy weight and be strong at birth.
- Babies who are born too early or underweight face a higher risk of disabilities.
- Planning enough time between pregnancies allows the mother to breastfeed for a longer period of time.
Benefits for mother:
- Mothers will have more time to regain health and energy.
- Allows more time to recover physically, emotionally, and financially from pregnancy and childbirth.
- Women with high blood pressure and/or diabetes are more likely to deliver a baby too soon if she becomes pregnant again in less than 18 months.
- Women face a much higher risk of placental abruption and placenta previa when healthy birth spacing is not observed.
Benefits for father:
- Fathers will have time to provide emotional, educational, and financial support to their children.
- Allows the father to feel better about himself.
Highly effective birth spacing options:
- Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) options are 99% effective and low maintenance.
Examples: Implants | IUD