If the conditions are favorable, you can get pregnant again before you see your first period after pregnancy [as early as four weeks after giving birth or as late as 24 weeks after baby arrives (or later), depending on whether you’re breastfeeding exclusively or not].
Of course, most women don’t want this. In this article, we will discuss when it’s best to get pregnant again, reasons why, and how to ensure you don’t get pregnant when you don’t want to.
When Is The Right Time To Get Pregnant?
Eighteen months is the best medical advice on this. However, you should know that you can also decide to wait for a shorter time but not less than six months. Research has shown that conceiving within 18 months of giving birth increases the risk of giving birth to a premature baby, increasing the risk of asthma, developmental delays, and vision and hearing problems in the child later in life.
Do we know why that is? Not really. There is an indisputable link. However, most babies conceived within 18 months after their mothers gave birth turn out relatively healthy. Surprisingly, the same effects seen within 18 months are seen when a mother conceives after five years of giving birth.
Mothers should try to involve their doctors in this decision as much as they can.
How Can You Prevent An Unwanted Pregnancy At This Time?
For women who are not breastfeeding, their menstrual periods may come within 6-12 weeks after birth. Women who are breastfeeding may take as long as 3-6 months or longer. However, some women ovulate before ever seeing their first period after delivery. Some don’t ovulate at all before their first period. Bottom line? There’s no way to be sure that pregnancy will or will not happen. A woman can get pregnant while breastfeeding. Yet, periods don’t always mean ovulation.
Your best bet is contraception. You can get an Intrauterine device as early as two days after delivery. Most times, you may have to wait for 4-6 weeks after. Contraception is the only safe way to go about this.
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