My sister has always been a planner. After giving birth to her first son, she timed things precisely so there?d be a three-year age gap between him and her second baby. Then she did it again between her second and third. She liked the idea of her kids being close enough in age to relate to one another, yet not so close that they?d compete for their parents? attention.
She got lucky: Her her body and life circumstances co-operated, and her plan worked out exactly as she’d hoped. But it wasn?t all plain sailing: Ultimately that three-year formula didn?t just help my nephews have a tighter bond, it was necessary for her not to rush into getting pregnant again.  My sister needed that time to recover from all-day ?morning? sickness; a C-section for her breech middle child; and a pelvic injury from carrying and delivering his 11.3-pound little brother, which immobilized her for weeks and took several more months to heal. Planning for a second baby can be a complex equation, with hopes, dreams, health and pragmatism all in the mix. Here are some of the big questions to ponder, before trying to get pregnant again:
What’s the best age gap between kids for sibling bonding"
My sister?s three-year formula seemed to work: My nephews are grown up now and they?ve been there for each other through everything from schoolyard drama to surgeries to broken hearts. But we all know siblings with significantly smaller or larger age gaps than my nephews, who nonetheless formed un...