Pregnancy within six months of delivery

Each pregnancy deserves special care and management. If you conceive another child within six months of delivery, however, close monitoring becomes even more important due to the slightly higher risk for possible complications, such as premature delivery and low birth weight. Your doctor will carefully consider your prenatal care, including recommendations for diet, weight gain, rest and exercise, as well as your preferences about breastfeeding.


Prenatal care
Because this pregnancy is considered to be higher risk, select a doctor who has experience with your special type of pregnancy. Ask what special steps you need to take, and carefully follow the doctor's recommendations. Keep all your prenatal appointments.

Diet
If you haven't completely recovered from your last pregnancy, you may not be starting this pregnancy on an optimal nutritional base. In addition to the extra calories and particular nutritional requirements you need for any pregnancy, you may also need additional nutrients, such as protein and iron. Be sure to ask your doctor about any special dietary needs you may have.

Weight gain
To help your fetus grow and develop, make sure you gain the proper amount of weight with this pregnancy -- typically 25 to 35 pounds. (Your doctor can tell you how much weight gain would be appropriate in your case.) Even if you haven't shed the extra pounds from your last pregnancy, don't try to lose the weight now. It's healthiest to wait until the baby is born.

Rest
Taking care of an infant and any older children undoubtedly leaves you without much time to rest. Add to that the natural energy-zapping effect of pregnancy, and your body may cry out for rest. To make sure you get as much rest as possible, sleep when your baby sleeps and enlist the help of your partner, family and friends.

Exercise
Pregnancy is not a good time to begin a strenuous exercise program. If you've been getting regular aerobic exercise, however, it will help keep you in shape during pregnancy and prepare you for labor. Before starting or continuing an exercise program, ask your doctor what type of exercise is safe for you and if there are any restrictions. If you're not used to aerobic exercise, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends limiting aerobic exercise to brisk walking. For example, you may want to take a daily walk with your baby in the stroller.

Breastfeeding
Some women choose to stop breastfeeding when they become pregnant. If you're nursing your newborn and would like to continue during your pregnancy, discuss the decision with your doctor.
If you continue to breastfeed, you'll need to meet all the nutritional requirements necessary to ensure normal growth and development for your newborn and the developing fetus. If you develop sore nipples, a common symptom during pregnancy, use the breathing techniques learned in your prenatal classes and vary your breastfeeding positions. You may also want to pump your breasts to start the milk flow before you begin nursing. (There is less milk at the beginning of each nursing session, which may contribute to nipple pain.) Some pregnant women who nurse become restless or irritable. If this happens, you may want to distract yourself while nursing by reading a book or watching television.

As your pregnancy progresses and your body prepares for the upcoming birth, your breast milk will change to colostrum. This may deprive the nursing child of vital nutrients, especially if he or she is not yet eating solid foods. Consult your child's doctor to determine what supplements or dietary changes your child may need. Some children begin to wean on their own at this time, possibly in response to the decreased milk production or a change in the taste of your milk.

Because your milk supply is based on supply and demand, it's possible to breastfeed both children after the baby is born. This is called "tandem nursing." If the older baby still nurses often, however, the newborn may be deprived of vital nutrients during the first two weeks after birth. The colostrum production may be scanty compared to the mature milk. If you choose tandem nursing, make sure your newborn nurses first during the first few weeks to help ensure proper nutrition.