Birth Spacing
Recovery is key.
Birth Spacing is when a woman gives her body enough time to recover between pregnancies.
What is Birth Spacing?
Pregnancy and birth are physically and emotionally stressful.
Birth Spacing is when a woman gives her body enough time to recover between pregnancies. Doctors recommend women wait at least 18 months between giving birth and getting pregnant again.
Why wait 18 months? Pregnancy and birth is hard on the body. It takes time to heal and recover from this stress. Waiting 18 months gives a mom’s body time for necessary nutrients such as folic acid and iron to be replaced.
Research shows a clear link between the timing of pregnancies and the risk of health problems for mother and baby. This risk includes premature birth. The benefit of Birth Spacing? It gives moms and babies the best chance for a healthy start.
The benefits of Birth Spacing
Benefits for Mom
- Restore key vitamins and nutrients
- Return to healthy weight with exercise and healthy eating
- Heal, recover, and regain energy
- Adjust to stress and new demands of parenting
Benefits for Baby
- Increase the chances of baby being born at the right time and healthy weight
- Increase bonding time
- More time to breastfeed if mom chooses
- Increase interactions and play time
- Children are better prepared to begin kindergarten and perform better in school
Benefits for Family
- Parents and other family members will have a chance to bond with the new baby
- Older children will have time to adjust
- Decrease financial stress
- Parents will have time with each other
- Increase family time
Did you know?
Your postpartum visit is your time to talk about how you feel, address any concerns you may have, and discuss plans for future children. This is your time to take care of you!
Additional Resources
Below are resources and outside services that can help.
Delaware CAN
The Delaware Contraceptive Access Now (CAN) initiative is a statewide program and set of policy changes focusing on reducing unintended pregnancies and improving access to and delivery of family planning services and contraceptives, including long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).
DHSS Family Planning
The Delaware Division of Public Health provides a variety of family planning services including pregnancy testing, birth control education and counseling, emergency contraception, screening, and more.
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