Timing Births

Supporting Information

A woman's body can easily become exhausted by repeated pregnancies, childbirth, breastfeeding and caring for small children. After four pregnancies, especially if there has been less than two years between births, she faces an increased risk of serious health problems such as anaemia ('thin blood') and haemorrhage (heavy loss of blood).

A baby is at greater risk of dying if the mother has had four or more pregnancies.