The question of when to add another baby to the family can be tricky. There is no right or wrong answer. It is different for every family and every pregnancy.

There is, though, the safety concern for mom and baby. Between pregnancies, the mother’s body needs time to heal, replenish nutrients and become strong again to safely carry a pregnancy to full term.

According to March of Dimes, it is best to wait at least 18 months from giving birth to start trying again. Having too little time between pregnancies gives the mom a higher chance of having a premature birth.

Aside from physical concerns, there are emotional and financial concerns. Adding another baby to the family increases the demands on both the parents and the other siblings. It can create more stress on the family and the budget.

Adding another child to the family also has limitless positive aspects. The love between siblings is incredible. More children bring more joy and love into a household and the new baby is capable of a remarkable life.

This list of 15 ways to tell she's ready for another child will help parents to think about their personal feelings, relationships, finances and dreams for the future. Some parents may already have great dreams of more children whiles others are on the fence. Take time to really consider what another child could mean and how the family dynamic will change.

One great lesson of life is that no one can really tell what the future will hold. A new baby may be exactly what the family needs.

15 She's Struck By A Baby Fever Attack

Baby fever has struck…with a vengeance. Everywhere you go you see adorable babies. As if you have supersonic baby radar, you hear the cry of a newborn from across the mall. You can’t help but to gaze longingly at those adorable baby clothes.

It’s happened. You have a serious case of baby fever. This is usually a parent’s first sign that they are ready for another baby.

Your feelings can be a pretty accurate barometer for how ready you and the rest of your family is for another baby. Your feelings also affect the juices baby swims around in (via hormones) and can have an impact on gestation.

So if you can, try to get your heart into the idea before you stop the birth control. If you’re already pregnant, trust that great things are in store for you—and keep looking at the adorable babies in this article, it’s bound to sway your heart.

14 She Started A "Baby" Board On Pinterest

You’re not exactly sure when it happened or why. At some point you just started noticing adorable baby pictures, products and ideas coming up in your Pinterest feed. You couldn’t help it (really you didn’t even think about it) and now your “Baby” board has over 200 pins.

This is a sure sign of where your head and heart are. The baby pins had been in your feed for the last three years. You just didn’t take notice of them because you weren’t ready to add another baby to your family.

But somewhere along the line that has changed for you. You can see another baby in your future. You can imagine adding at least one more to your family. Your Pinterst board is telling you you’re ready for another baby.

Don’t have a “Baby” board on Pinterest? Pull up your home feed tonight and check how many baby related pins come up. I’m sure there’s at least a few. You didn’t notice them before because your heart’s not into another baby—at least for now.

13 She Can Be Found Wandering In The Baby Aisle

“Attention Target customers, Sally Needsababy, your husband is looking for you and can’t find you anywhere. He says you better not be in the baby aisle. Please meet him at customer service.”

Have you been innocently doing your weekly shopping when suddenly you realize you’ve drifted to the baby department? You come out of a hazy daydream and wonder how long you’ve been holding this adorable sleeper and rubbing it on your face.

It’s for sure, you’re ready for another baby.

For the parent who doesn’t have the urge to stop by the baby aisle, you probably haven’t caught the baby fever bug yet. If you hear the sweet cry of a newborn and can only think of how terrible it feels to sleep for 2 hours at a time, the time isn’t right. When you think of pregnancy and immediately mourn your waistline, give it a little more time.

12 Her Partner Agrees It's Time For Another

It seems pretty common with couples that if one is ready for a baby, the other isn’t.

Especially if you already have kids. Think about it…somewhere in between snotty noses, meals, house cleaning, work—in essence being totally exhausted while waiting hand-and-foot on tiny humans—if even one of you thinks it’s a good idea to continue procreating, it’s a miracle.

When both of you agrees it’s time for another baby, all signs point to READY. This agreement is probably more miraculous than one sperm finding the egg among all the ways it can be defeated. So if you’re partner agrees, it’s time to get busy!

But what if you can’t get your partner to agree? This is a great time to find out what the holdup is. Use this time to communicate the thoughts and feelings of each person. Work through any red flags your partner brings up. Afterward, you both might feel differently about another baby.

11 She Keeps A List Of Perfect Names

Emma, Alex, Bella, Ann….do you have a list stashed somewhere of perfect names for your next baby? Well maybe you didn’t realize it, but you’re already planning for that little one to join your family.

If you keep a running list in your head, it might not be so serious. Just a few ideas here or there of names you like. The mental list probably means that, “Sure, sometime, in the future I might consider adding another child to the family.”

The mental list is a “probably.” The written list is, “What are we waiting for?”

By giving a possible name to the future baby, you’re further defining your goals. You’re saying to yourself and the universe that this is what you want and you’re ready for it.

Now you just need to check to see if your partner has a hidden list somewhere. If it’s not written down, may you can change is maybe into a for sure!

10 She's Planning A Thematic Family Halloween Costume

Do you already have the perfect family Halloween costumes picked out? Is there a precious costume for a new little baby?

If so, then you are totally ready for another child. You have clearly painted a picture in your mind of your family with another baby in it.

If you also have this idea pinned on your “Baby” board and your referring to little R2D2 as baby Arlo, then we can say for sure that you are super ready (and you’re in the throes of baby fever).

If, instead, the thought of getting your whole family prepared for Halloween (not even considering thematic planning), makes you want to scream (or cry) then NO, you’re not ready.

That feeling of overwhelm at just the thought of Halloween is your body telling you that you have too much to handle right now.

There’s nothing wrong with that either. Maybe after your things get a little bit easier you’ll change your mind.

9 She Feels Able To Handle Another

There are several different stages of development that seem a little bit easier for parents to handle.

-Sleeping through the night

-Potty training completed

-Able to dress without help

When these milestones happen, parents feel a little less stressed and a little more confident. They feel like suddenly life is a little bit easier to handle. Sometimes it doesn’t last long while other times it creates a new normal for the family.

If you’re suddenly feeling like things are easier and you could handle another baby, it might be the right time for you.

I’ve heard the comment a lot lately that, “I thought it was easy when the first was 9 months old. But when I had the second and the first was then 20 months old….different story.”

The thing about family planning is that it doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes we just can’t see far enough in the future (or have enough experience) to tell what will work out perfectly—precisely the reason for “happy accidents!”

8 She Misses The Cuddle Of A Newborn

The cuddle of a newborn baby is not like anything else. It’s absolutely incredible and only lasts for a very short period of time.

If you find yourself missing the cuddle of a newborn baby, you might be ready for another one. Or—you might just be human. People of all ages love to snuggle a newborn and it doesn’t always mean that they’re ready to raise one.

If you want to cuddle a newborn but nothing else on this list rings true then you probably aren’t ready for another baby.

If you can’t kick the dream of holding a newborn, call your local hospital. Some hospitals will take volunteers to snuggle newborn babies. Some of these babies are awaiting adoption while others are in the NICU for extended periods of time.

Keep reading to see if you have any other signs that you are ready to have another baby.

7 The Other Children Are Asking For A Baby

Sometimes parents wait for the cue from other children before deciding to have more. It can be a touchy subject of when to introduce another child in the family. It might leave you wondering if you have the time, energy, and attention to give to another child.

Plus, you may be concerned about your older child being jealous of the baby or unable to share mom and dad.

If your older child is begging for another baby (and not with a prompting from Grandma) it might be time for your family to expand.

Children, though, don’t realize the real consequence of this request. Often times, they think it’s fun to hold a baby or play with a cousin. They haven’t thought through (as I’m sure you have) just how much attention that draws away from the older child.

If you feel ready but your older children don’t, you may have to warm them up to the idea. Luckily you’ll have 9 months to get them ready for a new baby.

6 She Decides To Keep The Baby Clothes

The holidays are over. Your kids are outgrowing toys and clothes as faster than you can find storage. As you look around at the crib, changing table, saucer, swing, boxes of baby clothes and more, you’re wondering if this stuff should stick around or not.

The baby equipment can take up a ton of room. Especially as your children get bigger and better stuff to replace everything they’ve outgrown.

After you already have one child, another is much less expensive. You already have all that equipment. If the new baby ends up being the same gender as a sib, it’s even more cost effective.

When you’re going through boxes of baby supplies, do a gut check. If seeing it go makes you want to sob then hang on to it a little longer. If you can part with all but a few favorite pieces for memories then you probably aren’t too serious about having another.

5 She Dreams Of Her Children Being Great Friends

Have you been dreaming of giving your first child a sibling? Can you picture the two being the best of friends? Do you want to take them to Disney together and have the best family vacations?

If you can already see your oldest walking hand-in-hand with his new best friend then you might be ready for another baby.

You can’t always guarantee, though, that they will get along at all. But rest assured, you’ll raise these kiddos in a house based on love. Even if they’re polar opposites, you’ll be able to teach them to love, respect and appreciate each other.

Plus, if you don’t add a sibling for your other child, who will he complain to about mom and dad?

If you already have two or more, you might want to think about how another child will change the family dynamic. But don’t think too hard—you have no idea what type of person this next child will be. He might be the great uniter in the family.

4 The Oldest Sibling Is Growing Up

There are no rules about how to space children in a family. Sometimes close in age is great. Other times big gaps work out perfectly.

But if you were hoping to keep your children close enough to play together while their young, you might be ready to add another child to the family.

As your other child grows up, you might feel it’s time to get back to the basics. Some parents feel more capable to handle another child when the older one is independent (and maybe even helpful).

Other parents might cherish the idea that they’ll actually be needed day and night again.

As the demands on you change from getting a little one dressed to dropping them off at a school dance, you might find that you’re ready for another. This can be a great way for parents to take their time with each child and have more time and attention for each.

3 The Other Children Are Sleeping Through The Night

Many parents don’t even consider another child until the first is sleeping through the night. Once parents get a few months of rest, they begin to feel a return to normalcy.

With the added rest, you might feel that you could handle another child. You’re thinking more clearly. You feel more like yourself. You might even be enjoying time alone with your partner. These can all work together to renew the body, mind and soul.

If you’re feeling refreshed by a few good nights of sleep, you could be ready for another baby.

On the other hand, if you love the sleep so much you might not be ready to give it up just yet. If waking up 5 times during the night to go to the bathroom while pregnant sounds like a nightmare, give yourself a little more time to rest. Enjoy the sleep as much as you need to before jumping in again.

2 She Has Too Much Free Time And Too Much Money

Have you been sitting around with nothing to do? Were you wondering what to do with your piles of cash? If so, then you’d be a perfect candidate for pregnancy.

Well, maybe you don’t have “nothing” to do or a whole pile of money. But a little extra time and a budget that’s not too tight might just be the sign you were looking for.

When you feel like the pressure is off and you have a little breathing room (in your budget and calendar) you might be opening up to the possibility of another baby.

Many parents get to a point where there aren’t as many demands on time and money. This can be a sweet spot for a family to be in. It allows just enough time to dream of another.

Others get to this point and don’t want to leave it. If giving up your free time in exchange for feedings and diapers sounds terrible—you’re not quite ready for another baby and maybe another won’t be in your future at all.

1 A Bun Is Already In The Oven

You will know you’re ready for another baby…if you’re already pregnant. A lot of variables had to be just right for you to get pregnant—everything from timing to temperature to speed. It was all perfect.

To you, the timing of this pregnancy may or may not be perfect. But it happened and here you are.

You’re lucky because you are resourceful, creative and loving. You will be able to handle anything that comes your way. You are a woman and you were made for this.

Repeat after me, “I am woman. Hear me roar!”

If you are excited about this pregnancy, congratulations. It will be amazing.

If you’re scared, ambivalent or just less than excited, give yourself some time. Allow yourself the grace to say I’m unsure. I’m already a wonderful mother. I’m nervous and not sure how it will work out but I can do this again.

You can do this again and everything has come together perfectly for you to do just that.

Source: March of Dimes, The Stir, Cafe Moms