How long should you wait before getting pregnant again

HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C can also be passed on by sharing equipment for injecting drugs, such as needles.

Planning another pregnancy

It is also important that your partner is healthy. A bad diet, smoking, drinking and unhealthy working conditions can affect the quality of sperm and prevent pregnancy happening.

Folic acid

You should take a 400 microgram folic acid tablet every day while trying to get pregnant up until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.

It reduces the risk of having a baby born with defects of the brain, spine or spinal cord, such as spina bifida. You can get these tablets from a supermarket or pharmacist.

It’s also good to eat foods that contain this important vitamin. These include leafy green vegetables, and breakfast cereals and breads with added folic acid.

You’ll need a bigger dose of folic acid if:

• you or the baby’s other biological parent have defects of the brain, spine or spinal cord (these are known as neural tube defects)
• you or the baby’s other biological parent have a family history of neural tube defects
• you have had a previous pregnancy that was affected by a neural tube defect
• you have coeliac disease
• you have diabetes
• you take anti-epileptic medicine
• you take anti-retroviral medicine for HIV
• you have a BMI of 30 or over

Women with the blood disorders sickle cell or thalassaemia (or thalassaemia trait) should take folic acid 5 mg daily throughout pregnancy.

Ask a GP for advice.

Rubella (german measles) and pregnancy

Rubella is rare in the UK thanks to the uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

But if you get the infection in early pregnancy, it can lead to serious birth defects and miscarriage.

If you’re not sure whether you’ve had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, ask your GP practice to check.

You can have the vaccinations at your GP practice if you have not had both doses or there’s no record available.

You should avoid getting pregnant for 1 month after having the MMR vaccination.

Be aware that the MMR vaccine is not suitable if you are already pregnant.

Diabetes and epilepsy

Talk to your doctor before you try to get pregnant if you have diabetes. You’ll need some extra care during pregnancy.

You should also talk to your doctor if you have epilepsy. Some medicines used to treat epilepsy can cause birth defects.

There should be alternative epilepsy medicines that your doctor can recommend.

Mental health and pregnancy

If you previously experienced a mental health condition such as postnatal depression, postpartum psychosis or PTSD, talk to your doctor before you try to get pregnant.

You may have experienced a birth trauma and are anxious about having another baby. Your doctor or midwife will listen to any concerns you have and can personalise your care.

Vaginal birth after caesarean section

If you previously had a caesarean section, it is likely that you can have a vaginal delivery with your next baby.

It partly depends on why you had a caesarean section and how many caesareans you’ve had. A GP, midwife or obstetrician will be able to advise you.

You’ll be advised to have a caesarean with your next baby if you:

• previously had a uterine rupture (a tear in the wall of your womb)
• previously had womb surgery
• have a vertical scar on your uterus
• have placenta praevia (where the neck of the uterus is blocked by the placenta)

After 1 caesarean section, you are likely to go on and have a vaginal delivery with your next pregnancy if the pregnancy is straightforward.

But if problems occur throughout labour, the midwife and obstetrician could advise that you have a caesarean section. This is because of the risk of complications that may arise as a result of previous scarring.

Cervical screening test

If you’re due to have cervical screening (a smear test), you should have this test before you try to get pregnant.

If you’re invited for a routine smear test while you’re pregnant you should tell your GP or clinic you’re pregnant. You will usually be advised to reschedule the test for a date around 12 weeks after your baby is born.

Read more about health things you should know in pregnancy, including cervical screening.

You and your partner’s weight and fertility

It can improve your chances of getting pregnant if you and your partner are a healthy weight.

This is particularly important if you or your partner are living with obesity (have a BMI of 30 or more) as this means you’re likely to have lower fertility.

Before you get pregnant, you can find out whether you’re a healthy weight and get advice with the BMI healthy weight calculator.

Speak to a GP or practice nurse if you need help or advice.

Medicines and drugs while trying

Some medicines can harm your baby if you take them while you’re pregnant, while others are safe to take.

If either you or your partner take medicine regularly, talk to your doctor about any possible effects on fertility or pregnancy.

Do this ideally before you start trying for a baby or as soon as you find out you’re pregnant.

Check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before you take any over-the-counter medicines or herbal remedies.

Illegal drugs may affect your ability to conceive or the development of your baby if you’re pregnant.

For friendly, confidential advice, contact:

• Frank, the drugs information line, on 0300 123 6600
• Narcotics Anonymous on 0300 999 1212

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

STIs can affect your health and your ability to get pregnant. If there’s any chance you or your partner have an STI, it’s important to get it diagnosed and treated before you get pregnant.

STIs can be passed on through unprotected sex with an infected person. Some STIs can be passed on from one person to another without penetration.

HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C can also be passed on by sharing equipment for injecting drugs, such as needles.

If you’re HIV positive, treatment is available to prevent you passing on the virus to your baby during pregnancy or at birth. You can still pass on HIV by breastfeeding.

Read living with HIV and AIDS to find out more about pregnancy and HIV.

Fertility and where you work

If you or your partner are exposed to X-rays or pesticides where you work, it may affect your fertility.

Talk to a GP if you’re concerned. They can advise you about any possible risks to your fertility.

Finding it hard to get pregnant?

It can take a while to get pregnant the second or third time around, even if it happened very quickly the last time.

More in Trying for a baby

Page last reviewed: 18 December 2023
Next review due: 18 December 2026

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How long should you wait before getting pregnant again?

For most women, it’s best to wait at least 18 months between giving birth and getting pregnant again. This means your baby will be at least 1½ years old before you get pregnant with another baby. This much time gives your body time to fully recover from your last pregnancy before it’s ready for your next pregnancy.

The time between giving birth and getting pregnant again is called birth spacing, pregnancy spacing and interpregnancy interval (also called IPI).

Why is it important to wait 18 months before getting pregnant again?

Getting pregnant again before 18 months increases the risk for certain health problems for your baby, including:

• Preterm birth. This means your baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, which is too soon. Preterm babies are more likely to have health problems and have to stay in the hospital longer than babies born on time. The shorter the time between pregnancies, the higher your risk for preterm birth.
• Low birthweight. This is when your baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
• Being small for gestational age (also called SGA). This means your baby is smaller than normal based on the number of weeks you’ve been pregnant.

Babies born with these health conditions are at higher risk of having long-term health problems or even death.

What can you do to help you get the right amount of time between pregnancies?

Here’s what you can do:

• Wait at least 18 months after having a baby before getting pregnant again. Give your body this time to recover from your last pregnancy before you get pregnant again.
• Use effectivebirth control(also called contraception or family planning) until you’re ready to get pregnant again. Birth control helps keep you from getting pregnant. Examples of birth control include intrauterine devices (also called IUDs), implants, the pill and condoms. Other than abstinence (not having sex), IUDs and implants are the most effective kinds of birth control. They work well at preventing pregnancy because they’re low maintenance. This means that once you get them from your provider, they work for a long time (up to several years) and you don’t have to worry about or remember how or when to use them. Once you have an IUD or implant, you don’t have to worry about getting pregnant until you have it removed. Talk to your provider to see if an IUD or implant is right for you.
• If you’re pregnant, talk to your provider before you give birth about getting an IUD or implant right after you have your baby. If you don’t get an IUD or implant right after giving birth, talk to your provider about getting one at your postpartum checkup. This is a medical checkup you get about 6 weeks after you have your baby.
• If you’re older than 35 or have had amiscarriageorstillbirth, talk to your provider about how long to wait between pregnancies. Waiting 18 months may not be right for you. A miscarriage is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy. A stillbirth is when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

How does getting pregnant again too soon increase your chances for preterm birth?

Experts don’t know for sure why getting pregnant again too soon increases your chances of preterm birth and other health problems for your baby. It may be because your body needs time to:

• Build up its supply ofnutrients, likefolic acid. Nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, help your body stay strong and healthy. If your body doesn’t have enough nutrients and you get pregnant again too soon, it may cause health problems for you or your baby. For example, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, your baby gets nutrients from your body. After having a baby, your body may not have enough of certain nutrients, like folic acid. Folic acid is a vitamin that every cell in your body needs for normal growth and development. If you take it before you get pregnant, it can help reduce your baby’s chances of having birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects (also called NTDs). If you get pregnant again too soon and your folic acid levels are low, your next baby is more likely to be born preterm, with low birthweight or with NTDs.
• Heal from infection and inflammation. Infection during pregnancy can lead to inflammation (redness and swelling) in parts of your body, like the uterus (womb). If you have a condition like endometritis (inflammation of the lining of the uterus) during pregnancy and get pregnant again before your body has fully healed, you may have the condition again in your next pregnancy. Inflammation may play a role in preterm premature rupture of membranes (also called PPROM). PPROM is when the sac (bag of waters) around the baby breaks before 37 weeks pregnancy, causing labor to start. PPROM can cause preterm birth.
• Reset the microbiome of the vagina (birth canal). The microbiome is a group of microorganisms. Microorganisms (like bacteria) are living things that are so small you need a microscope to see them. Some experts think the microbiome in a woman’s vagina (called the vaginal microbiome) may play a role in preterm birth. For example, having an infection called bacterial vaginosis affects the vaginal microbiome and can increase your chances of having a preterm baby. Also, the vaginal microbiome of women who had a preterm baby may be different than that of women who had a baby after 37 weeks of pregnancy. And it may take time—even a year—for the vaginal microbiome to go back to how it was before pregnancy. So getting pregnant again too soon may cause problems in your next pregnancy, like preterm birth. The March of Dimes supports research to learn more about the vaginal microbiome and preterm birth.

More information

Last reviewed: July, 2017