Are You Planning For A Second Child?

India was the first country in the world to emphasize on family planning with the slogan of “Hum Do, Humare Do” (We two, ours two) in the year 1952. Since, then I believe, our society always ask the married couple to plan for the second baby right after the certain gap of time. Although there are no specific rules to plan a second baby after/before a certain age, still there should be a proper thought-process and planning before you welcome a new little member into your family.

Many couples prefer to have a large gap in age between the older kid and the younger one, while some other plans to have the second baby keeping the small gap in age between their children. However, there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with the large and small age gap. Therefore, it is you and your partner who is going to decide what is right for your family.

This blog of mine is totally dedicated to all those parents who  are in the decision making  process and planning towards the second baby. I hope this blog is going to be a useful guide for you all.

When should you start planning for a second baby?

The planning should start when you both are mental, physically and financially ready. Raising a second newborn can be more tiring and time taking for both of you. It is going to involve your finances too. The cost of nurturing needs a reliable support of income so that you can provide them quality upbringing and grooming that a child deserves. Therefore, it is always good to consider all the basic aspects of life including the response of your elder one too. As it has been observed that many times, older kids are not ready to share their affections and love (which they get from their parents) with their newly arrived sibling. Therefore, many parents prefer to keep a long age gap between their children, so that the older one may get sufficient attention and care and should not feel himself neglected.

On the other hand, parents who had preferred to welcome their second newborn early keeping lesser age-gaps in between their two kids believe that this ensures the children will be the playmates for life, they will have a better understanding, and the parents will not have to re-start their upbringing stories.

However, according to the research and studies, it says the following:

• There should be a planned gap of at least 1.6 years to 2 years between the two children to ensure a good health for both the mother and the newborn baby.

What are the other main things to consider while planning for a second baby?

There are certain things that play an important role in your decision to get pregnant second time. They can be the following:

• Your financial condition – Family is always important and comes first in priority, but if you are planning for the second baby, you should look upon your bank balance. A child takes birth with multiple responsibilities for the parents. Starting from the basic-necessities to the grooming-need until the education all require a reliable monetary source. Hence, if you are sure that you can manage your expenses easily with an arrival of a little new member, then proceed ahead with your decision.

• Age do matters, sometimes – Yes, in some cases age does matters. If your age is 35+ with some health-related problems then conception might become the difficult stage for you. However, you can consult a good gynaecologist and obstetrician for proper guidance.

• You BOTH should be willing – An ideal situation appears, when you and your husband both are willing to have a second baby at the same time. Try to discuss this matter when you both are in relaxed mind. As happy minds make a happy decision which is good for everyone.

I am hopeful that this blog has given you the required help that you were looking out.

Take Care!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect BabyChakra’s point of view. BabyChakra does not assume any responsibility for the views expressed in the article.

Also read: How to prepare your toddler for a new baby?

Explore the entire collection of articles: Parenting Gyaan

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