Lots of people will tell you different things on what the appropriate spacing between births should be. But does anyone truly know? I almost betted my life when a friend told me of some lady in a rural town who had had about 15 kids in the space of 5 years or more. I argued and even laughed about it, till she managed to get the newspaper in which she’d read the story. I can honestly say that never in my adult life have I read something so unbelievable. Apparently, of all the times she’d given birth, only the first child came out alone. After that she’s had three sets of twins, two sets of quadruplets, then a set of triplets and so on! This is not an exaggeration but a painful reality. We look at our own lives and have no clue on what’s happening around us. People in places that remote have no idea about family planning or the dangers of having babies without spacing. Her babies’ daddy would probably rather spend money on local booze than a packet of condoms. She, on the other hand, is powerless to stop him because he pays the rent. Did I mention that some of these kids died due to malnutrition, malaria and other diseases? The ones lucky enough to be educated on family planning should take it seriously. A one-year gap is not bad if you have the money to raise them properly. Do not rush to create children when you don’t have the faintest idea on what you’ll do with them after they arrive! And even if you do have the money, try not to deliver them so close to each other and have people calling them twins when they’re not. There’s a lot of help and counseling you can get through family planning organizations, which exist throughout the world and can be accessed online. Planning on how soon to have the next child does take a truckload of stress and fatigue off you, particularly when there’s ample spacing between them. Having babies at every opportunity simply tires out you body and makes you much older-looking because there is always a crying baby in the house. Practice spacing for a period of two years at least - you’ll breathe easier that way. cjanzi83@yahoo.co.uk
