Are you longing to go back to the days of taking care of an infant? Planning for your second child can seem deceptively easy as you’ve already been through raising a child before. However, new complications such as your biological clock, finances and your firstborn come into the picture. Here we touch upon the things to consider while planning for your second baby.
A dilemma that is present among many couples is about when to have a second baby? There is no right answer for this as there are many factors involved such as health, finances and personal preferences. There are women who have become pregnant at age 40 and families with little resources have successfully raised two kids. Listed below are 12 factors that will help you decide when to get pregnant again. Once these factors are met, it will become the ideal time to have your second baby.
Here are a few points to consider:
Getting pregnant means big changes taking place in your body and that can only happen if your health is at an optimal level. Even if your first pregnancy was not too long ago, if you’ve recovered and are in good health, you can have a second baby.
As women grow older, their menstrual cycle begins to change in terms of egg production. This is because women are born with a limited supply of eggs which will eventually run out. As the age increases, the quality of the eggs also reduces increasing the chances of miscarriage or genetic defects.
While planning a second child, the age of your partner is also under the scanner. Studies have shown that men show a marked decrease in their sperm quality once they turn 35.
The father’s age also becomes important if you are hoping for the second child to be a boy. A study conducted showed that older dads were likely to have daughters due to more sperms carrying the X chromosome.
Finances play a crucial role in second child planning as the costs immediately double. Are you and your partner both working? Do you plan on sending both your children abroad for a higher education? Such questions need to be thought about well in advance to plan your finances.
Raising a second child means that you and your partner must be on the same page. There may be instances where you both may differ in opinion. One may want to wait for a while or not have kids at all. It is important that you both communicate with each other about what your goals are and how you can both compromise.
Your career will take a backseat for a while as you devote time to your newborn.
While planning for a second child, your first child also comes into the equation. Would you like your children to be playmates? Then it’s better to have a smaller gap as they would be of the same age group and get along well.
When you get pregnant for the second time, extra help becomes important because your first child needs to be looked after. Do you have a person that you trust to babysit your child? Do your parents live close by so that they can give you a helping hand with your baby?
Having a new child in the family would mean reassessing your living space. You may need to move into a bigger home once the baby grows or the kids would need to bunk in the same room.
If you’ve had a caesarean section for your firstborn, then you would have to repeat the process if the gap is less than two years.
Below are some tips for second pregnancy planning:
When you and your partner decide that its time for a second baby, make sure you get a blood test done. For starters, a blood test can help confirm a pregnancy if you’ve already started trying. Apart from that, it also helps check the iron content in your body. Most women become anaemic during pregnancy due to the large amounts of blood that is needed to sustain you and the baby. With a blood test, you can figure out a good plan to improve your iron content and avoid complications like infant anaemia.
Even if you don’t use birth control it doesn’t mean that pregnancy is around the corner. After the first baby, your menstrual cycle could be out of sync. You’ll need to chart out your ovulating days to figure out the optimal time for conception. It may take a couple of weeks to get it right so be patient and keep trying!
Getting back into shape after your first pregnancy is challenging but achievable. Most moms get back on their feet after a strict exercise regime but if you’re not one of them, you need to start now. Weight gain can inhibit fertility and can sometimes cause hormonal imbalances, making it difficult to track your ovulation.
Pregnancy isn’t a woman’s job alone. Make sure that you and your partner are familiar with the nuances of male fertility. Habits like smoking marijuana and alcohol severely curtail the sperm count in men. Obesity has been linked to male infertility meaning both you and your partner can hit the gym together.
If you’re in your early 30’s and are worried that your fertility may be affected, it would make sense to have your second baby as soon as possible. However, it’s also important that you think about your first born. Many couples wait for about three years before conceiving their second child as the first child is independent enough by then and the pregnancy can be given first priority.
If you have hit a wall despite trying to conceive for over half a year, looking at an IVF specialist makes sense. Infertility after conceiving the first time can take place due to increased age, health problems, lifestyle changes etc.
Your second baby is sure to be welcome when you have planned in advance. Here are some things you must do before the event:
The 2nd baby planning helps to answer the challenges of taking care of your firstborn while pregnant. It even needs you to take the future into account as raising two kids is twice the effort. However, the rewards are twice as good, and many families are happy that they have two children instead of just one.