Mind the age gap between babies

'Ideally, we'd recommend waiting 14 months before trying to conceive to give your body time to fully recover from your last pregnancy and breastfeeding,' says Dr Virginia Beckett, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

If you conceive again quickly, you may be more at risk of having a premature or low birth-weight baby. But if you're healthy and not too overweight or underweight, a small gap between babies shouldn't be
too much of a problem.

If you wait a long time you're more likely to be over 35 when it's physically harder. You're more likely to have a miscarriage, develop high blood pressure and diabetes or have a baby with Down's syndrome.

But don't panic.

If you're healthy, you're more than likely to have a straightforward pregnancy and birth. And you may well be better off financially, which will help give you more support as a mum.

To wait or not to wait?

Why it's FAB to have a SMALL gap between babies... You don't have to bother losing the baby weight between births. What's the point? Pass the chocolate Hobnobs!

 And NOT so fab... Having all that weight to shift after baby number two.

Why it's FAB to have a BIG gap between babies... You get ready-made helpers in your older kids.

And NOT so fab... You'll hit the menopause around the time your baby is a teenager. Get ready for fireworks!

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