ok, so i know i should stop watching Trisha re-runs, but...

[novabrandybutterpowder]

on the programme yesterday she was trying to persuade a woman not to rush into having another baby, and quoted some research that claimed you should leave 5 years between children or they have a greater risk of health and behavioural problems.

Is this true or a load of rubbish? I'm hoping for a fairly small gap between children, but for some reason this bothers me. Also, I'm a 3rd child in 4 years health and behavioural problem free, as are many people i know.

5 years??????? What rubbish!
I think the medical profession say to leave it maybe a yr just to let your body heal.... nothing to do with behavioural problems in the baby!

Did TRISHA quote that herself?

It's a load of rubbish

there is 5 years between my brother and I, and he has all sorts of behavioral problems!

Message withdrawn

I've heard of leaving it 1 year if possible but certainly never 5 years!!

Sounds like something you'd say to somebody a bit gullible who you don't think should EVER have any more kids i.e. every guest on Trisha.

Take no notice...probably based on one study out of hundreds, and we don't know anything about the people involved or why it was done.

Sounds a bit daft if you ask me

my nan always said to me - to leave a 3 year gab to allow my body to completely heal.

i love my nan shes great and always right

Trisha sucks eggs in hell.

my sister has 2 boys born 51 weeks apart and her second boy has always had lots of problems. He has asthma, skin problmes, ADHD, poor eyesight, you name it he has got it! My sister insists its because she didnt leave enough time between having her boys. She had a girl 3 years after her 2nd boy who has no problems at all and has waited 3 years before getting pregnant with her 4th!

What total crap, my Mum has 7 kids aged -- 34, 33, 31, 28, 20, 18 and 14 none of us have had any kind of problems my brother also has 2 kids aged 4 and 2 and they have no problems in fact I think it's nicer the sooner as they have someone to grow up with. I have just had my first (3 weeks ago) and have decided to try for another in about a year I wouldn't want to leave it any longer and certainly not 5 years.

thanks - thats what i thought

there is five years between my first two they cant share toys friends or games because of the aged difference at the moment my eldest has to play in his room as the youngest breaks them cause they are to delicate

you go for it I am having another baby my youngest will be 2 1/2 when its born becuse I definatly didnt want another huge gap

Nah, the only thing you can guarantee is two kids who can't play together or share many interests! (Theres a seven yr gap between me and my nearest sister and eight yrs between dp and his sister). I think the consensus of opinion would say about 2 yrs between kids births but it's totally up to you!

BTW 'naturally' with extended breastfeeding acting as a contraceptive, we'd all probably have them 18months - 2 yrs apart wouldn't we?