#28: Interpregnancy Intervals / Child Spacing: The Evidence, Your Preferences, & Our Opinions

01/26/24 • 77 min

Some women want two under two so they can “get the baby phase over with” in one fell swoop. Other women intentionally space their children 3+ years apart for various reasons such as socioeconomic and health.
Whether you are currently considering conscious or unconscious conception, the choice of how far apart to space your babies can impact you in ways beyond what you may have imagined.
So, what is the best interpregnancy interval between children? Is there even such a thing? Is one length more optimal than another? There are both objective and subjective answers behind this enigma.
We polled our loyal followers in our Instagram stories back in November about what the “perfect” age gap is between children, and we share those results along with your reasoning.
We also share the risks, benefits, pros and cons of short and long interpregnancy intervals. Did any of these surprise you?
If you are curious on what the latest evidence says about optimal pregnancy spacing, we read excerpts from the “Pregnancy Spacing” chapter in Lily Nichols’ book “Real Food for Pregnancy.”
The bottom line is- like everything that has to do with motherhood choices- only YOU will know the best interpregnancy interval for your body and your family. There are several factors that need to be considered beyond your and your baby’s physical health and well being- all of which we unpack during this episode.
Resources Referenced:

Unapologetically Unmedicated: Episode 89
PubMed article: Short Interpregnancy Articles in the United States
Mayo Clinic article
Perfect Supplements Replenish your nutrient stories between pregnancies with quality, grass-fed collagen, gelatin, and beef liver supplement (code: MOTR10 gets you 10% off)
Pique Matcha to reduce oxidative stress (MOTR listeners get up to 15% off + a free rechargeable frother & cup on subscriptions of $105+)
Anisa Woodall’s free Resilient Motherhood Masterclass: code MOTR for $100 off!

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Unapologetically Unmedicated: Episode 89
PubMed article: Short Interpregnancy Articles in the United States
Mayo Clinic article
Perfect Supplements Replenish your nutrient stories between pregnancies with quality, grass-fed collagen, gelatin, and beef liver supplement (code: MOTR10 gets you 10% off)
Pique Matcha to reduce oxidative stress (MOTR listeners get up to 15% off + a free rechargeable frother & cup on subscriptions of $105+)
Anisa Woodall’s free Resilient Motherhood Masterclass: code MOTR for $100 off!

Support the show

Previous Episode

#27: Navigating Unmedicated Birth In the Hospital and Mompreneurship with Fierce Lizzie

We kick off season 2 of Moms Off The Record and sit down with our friend and fellow radical mom, Lizzie Bolliger who you probably know as “Fierce Lizzie” to hear about her three births, what inspired her to leave her day job as a teacher and transition into a career as a doula on her terms.

We discuss the difference between “natural” and physiologic birth misnomers, whether any intervention is “natural,” circumventing hospital policies and rules, how we all really feel about the anatomy ultrasound, the truth about placenta previa diagnosis, and the difference between feeling empowered and being empowered.

Lizzie also shares a typical day in her life starting from the crack of dawn when she wakes up until 9pm when she calls it a night. As a business owner, doula, and podcaster who also homeschools her three children; how does she manage to juggle it all? She shares her mom and business woman hacks.

Resources:

Unapologetically Unmedicated podcast
Follow @FierceLizzie on Instagram

Support the show

Next Episode

#29: How We Approached Baby-Led Weaning: Part 1

Hear all about the MOTR approach to baby-led weaning. In this episode, we share our takes on:

what we think of baby-led weaning
how it’s different from simply “starting solids”
overcoming obstacles mothers face when considering solids (fear of choking, allergens, breastfeeding relationships, etc).
why we don’t care about added sodium for infants and what that evidence actually says (hint: it’s inconclusive)
how we feel about purée pouches and stereotypical “baby food”
why your pediatrician is not the expert on baby-led weaning
signs of readiness and why anything under 6 months old is too young to start solids

Stay tuned for part 2 for an even deeper dive on meals we offer our children, BLW hacks, staying the course during travel and dining out, and so much more.
Resources: