Erik Reuter wrote:
>
> On Fri, Feb 20, 2004 at 10:59:52AM -0600, Julia Thompson wrote:
>
> > And you don't ovulate the day after you give birth -- it can be a few
> > months.
>
> Do you know if it can be speeded up by the drugs they use on some women
> who were having troubling getting pregnant, who then seem prone to have
> quintuplets? Then both women could have quintuplets every nine months!
> Now THAT'S an efficient production line!
Quintuplets would be born sooner than 9 months.
For a single baby, they don't like to let you carry it past 42 weeks.
For twins, they don't like you to carry it past 38 weeks. (Otherwise
mine might have been October babies, and they certainly wouldn't share a
birthday with their uncle.)
For triplets, it's even shorter. (The book with that figure is up in
the library, and I'm feeling lazy right now.)
But a twin pregancy takes longer to recover from than a singleton
pregnancy, and I'm sure a triplet pregnancy takes even longer. The body
really wants a break.
Plus there's the whole breastfeeding thing. It's better for the baby to
breastfeed, and pregnancy interferes with lactation. A full year of
breastfeeding for all of these babies might be a good idea.
(Breastfeeding quintuplets would be rather daunting, but in theory,
still possible.) Then we're back to the 1 baby per woman every 2.5
years or so. (Or at least no more frequent than every 1.75 years to
give a full year of breastfeeding to each baby.)
I can't imagine anyone who's just had a baby would *consent* to be on
those drugs again. :) (If they were taking those drugs in the first
place. Me, I'd flee from those drugs.)
Julia
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