Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications How Soon Can You Get Pregnant Again After Giving Birth? Find out how soon you can get pregnant again after giving birth and learn about the additional risks of pregnancies that are very close together. By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Updated on July 9, 2024 Medically reviewed by Rachel Gurevich, RN In This Article View All In This Article How Soon After Giving Birth Can You Get Pregnant? Risks of Getting Pregnant Again Soon After Giving Birth How Long Should You Wait To Get Pregnant Again? What To Do If You Think You're Pregnant Again Are you wondering how soon you can get pregnant after giving birth? The answer is probably earlier than you think. Many new parents are led to believe that they can't get pregnant soon after delivery, but this is a misconception. In fact, while penetrative sex isn't generally recommended in the first four to six weeks after childbirth, it's possible for people to show up at their six-week postpartum checkup pregnant. Because of this, postpartum people need to be knowledgeable about the risks associated with back-to-back pregnancies and how they can safely avoid an unintended pregnancy during the early postpartum period. Learn more about how soon you get pregnant after giving birth, as well as the potential health complications of getting pregnant soon after childbirth. Science Photo Library - IAN HOOTON / Brand X Pictures / Getty Images How Soon After Giving Birth Can You Get Pregnant? Whether your baby was born vaginally or by C-section, your body may be capable of getting pregnant very shortly after giving birth. Research shows that ovulation can occur as early as 21 days after giving birth, which means that you may be able to get pregnant again as soon as three weeks after giving birth. To make matters more complicated, you will ovulate before having your first postpartum period—and as soon as you ovulate, you can potentially conceive again if you're having penis-in-vagina sex or sex that introduces semen in or around the vagina. Exclusive breastfeeding or chestfeeding can delay ovulation for up to 6 months, but any break in breastfeeding can trigger ovulation to restart—and you won't necessarily know when that occurs. Breastfeeding as Birth Control While breastfeeding delays ovulation in many postpartum people, it's not an effective method of birth control unless you are diligently following the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM). This method of birth control requires nursing your baby at least every 4 to 6 hours around the clock. It also means that you can't use a breast pump, your baby can't have a pacifier or bottle, and your baby can't be allowed to sleep through the night. This standard is understandably challenging for many new parents to maintain. Risks of Getting Pregnant Again Soon After Giving Birth There's evidence that people who have babies very close together have increased rates of pregnancy complications the second time around. This is because their bodies have not yet fully healed from giving birth. Even when you feel physically healed from childbirth, your body is still adjusting to changing levels of hormones, nutrients, and size. If you have a pregnancy within six months of giving birth, you increase the risk for complications such as: Congenital disorders Growth restriction in the baby Premature rupture of membranes (water breaking) Preterm birth How Long Should You Wait To Get Pregnant Again? While outcomes are slightly better if you wait at least six months between pregnancies, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that most people wait at least 18 months after giving birth before getting pregnant again. This timing gives the body time to heal and reduces the risks of complications. It also gives you time to plan your next pregnancy and receive preconception counseling, which reduces the risks of complications even further. There are some exceptions to this family planning rule of thumb, such as in cases of miscarriage, stillbirth, or advanced maternal age. If you're pregnant or recently gave birth and know that you want to grow your family, talk to a health care provider about how long you should ideally wait between pregnancies. In the meantime, be sure to discuss your contraceptive options with a health care provider and have a plan for how you will avoid unintended pregnancy after giving birth. Many reversible birth control options are safe to use immediately or soon after childbirth and while breastfeeding, such as: Progestin-only pill ("mini pill")CondomsIntrauterine device (IUD)Birth control implantBirth control shot What To Do If You Think You're Pregnant Again If you recently gave birth and you think you're pregnant again, talk to a health care provider right away. If you are pregnant, you will need extra prenatal care to monitor the pregnancy and minimize complications where possible. While there are greater risks with closely spaced pregnancies, there is no "perfect" timing for another pregnancy. With proper prenatal care, it's possible to have a healthy pregnancy that's soon after your first. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Lactational Amenorrhea Method. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023. Impact of interpregnancy interval on the subsequent risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2015 Post pregnancy contraception. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2020. Association of short interpregnancy interval with pregnancy outcomes according to maternal age. JAMA Intern Med. 2018. Interpregnancy Care. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2021.