Are You Ready For Another Baby?

My best friend just had a baby and she is the tiniest thing! My daughter is just over a year old and I know I want her to have siblings. How can I tell when I’m ready for another baby?

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that the optimal gap between births is 18 to 23 months. According to the researchers involved in the study, this results in the healthiest possible outcomes for both mothers and babies. What this study -- and others like it -- fails to acknowledge, however, is the fact that there's no such thing as "one size fits all" family planning. While some women are ready to plunge into another pregnancy while they still have one or more children in diapers, others don't even want to think about seeing the pregnancy test come back positive again until their youngest child hops on the school bus for kindergarten!

Still, while there's no "perfect time" to have another baby, some times are definitely better than others. Here are some factors to consider when you're trying to decide whether you're ready to have another baby:

• How old is your youngest child?

  If you're still getting up two or three times a night with a young baby, you might find it hard to find the energy to cope with the physical demands of pregnancy.

• How much attention do your other children require?

  It's one thing to contemplate another pregnancy if your other children are all relatively self-sufficient; it's quite another to think about becoming pregnant in the immediate future if you're busy caring for triplets or a child with complex medical needs.

• How will having another baby affect your family's financial situation?

  There's no denying it: kids cost money. If having another baby is going to stretch your budget to the breaking point, you might want to postpone your pregnancy until your financial situation is looking a little healthier.

• How do you feel about having another baby?

  Does the thought of having another baby fill you with euphoria or dread? Your gut instinct will tell you a lot about your readiness for another baby. If you take the time to weigh these factors, you should have a pretty good idea about whether or not you're ready for another baby.