How to know when the time is right for another baby

You've settled into a routine with your first child, and now the little voice in your head is asking, “Should I have a second child? Or third? Or 6th?” You may even wonder, “Why do I want another baby?” or "Do I really want a baby or is it hormones?" Making the decision to have another baby can be exciting and challenging — there's a lot to consider! Here are some things to consider when deciding if it might be the right time to have another baby.

You're physically ready


Pregnancy can be beautiful, but it can also be tough on the body! If you're planning on carrying your next child, it's important to consider your physical health. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• How was your last pregnancy? What effect did it have on your body?
• Has your cycle returned to normal, especially if you’ve been breastfeeding?
• Do you have a supportive partner or friend who will help you with the kids or housework if you experience morning sickness and/or fatigue while pregnant?
• If you breastfed, how did that go? Would you plan on breastfeeding your next child?
• Have you had any new medical diagnoses, injuries, or other complications that may impact your ability to get pregnant or carry your next child?
• Did you need any fertility assistance during your first pregnancy, like IUI or IVF?

You're caring for your mental health


Your mental health is just as important as your physical health when it comes to deciding if/when to have another child. Having another child means everything you experienced with your first pregnancy — new routines, lack of sleep, etc. — but you'll have to expand your focus between your newborn and your older children. Here are some things to consider:

• How was your mental health during and after your first pregnancy?
• Did you suffer from any postpartum mental health struggles like PPD (postpartum depression) or postpartum anxiety?
• Are you taking any medications that your healthcare professional recommends stopping before you try to get pregnant? Do you feel prepared to do so?
• Do you have a strong support system that will help you?

You've prepared financially


Unsurprisingly, having another child means one more of everything: another mouth to feed, another childcare bill, another set of medical bills. As you consider having another child, you might find it helpful to create a budget or hypothetical expenses for this new phase in life to help you decide if you're ready for another child, or you might consider meeting with a financial adviser. Here are some things to think about:

• If you're working, do you and/or your partner have paid maternal/paternal leave?
• Do you have an emergency fund, just in case?
• Do you have significant outstanding debt that you should take care of before having another child?
• Do you have room in your budget for childcare for another child? Does your current housing have room for your expanding family? If not, will you need to upsize in the near future? Do you have the budget for it?
• What if you need the help of medical intervention to get pregnant?
• If you have multiple children and you plan on helping to pay for things long term like college, could you afford to?

You've considered your age & ultimate family planning goals


Whether we like it or not, age may play a big part in your decision. If you're in your 20s and have no magic number of kids you want, you have the luxury of time. If you know you want several more kids and you're in your 30s or 40s, there may be no better time than the present! That said, thinking through what you want your family to look like — in the context of your age — could help push you to make a decision:

• Do you want lots of children? Are you hoping that they'll be relatively close in age?
• Are you still able to get pregnant?
• Is it safe for you to do so?

It's worth mentioning here that while this article has focused mainly on conceiving a child naturally, there are lots of ways to grow your family that don't require you to be pregnant, like surrogacy, adoption, and fostering. And just like there are many paths to growing your family, there are many individual paths taken along the way due to unique circumstances and wishes of every individual. If now isn’t the right time for you to try for another baby, that’s perfectly fine. And if it is the right time, that’s perfectly fine as well.

It’s exciting to start thinking about when to try for a second baby, and while there are a lot of factors to consider when making such a big decision, don’t lose sight of the reasons that made you consider having another child in the first place, such as the joy of growing your family!

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