By Michael Gwarisa

Zimbabwe’s leading family planning expert and trainer with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council, Thandekile Munemo, has cautioned women against closely spaced pregnancies, warning that insufficient recovery time between births can pose serious health risks for both mothers and children.

The concept of “gore mwana mwawa”, a Shona phrase loosely translated as “a child every year”, refers to a pattern where a woman conceives again shortly after giving birth, sometimes before the previous child reaches one year or completes breastfeeding. 

While culturally familiar in some communities, health experts say the practice can place significant strain on a woman’s body, increasing the risk of complications such as maternal anaemia, pregnancy-related disorders, and poor infant health outcomes.

Health experts also note that closely spaced pregnancies are often driven by cultural expectations, limited access to contraception, or misconceptions about breastfeeding as an effective form of family planning. In some cases, women also face pressure from partners or family members to have children in quick succession, limiting their ability to independently plan optimal birth spacing.

Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes, Munemo said that while childbearing is a personal decision, couples should follow medical recommendations on birth spacing.

“We are not prescribing when to have a child, but we are saying give yourself the recommended time to rest and the recommended time is two years, which is 24 months, for one to recover from a previous pregnancy,” she said.

She warned that pregnancies occurring before the recommended interval increase health risks.

“If one falls pregnant before the two years, there is a risk of developing anaemia because of haemodilution. You are also at risk of pre-term labour. If a woman has had a caesarean section and then falls pregnant before the two-year interval, there is a risk of uterine rupture and also bleeding after delivery, also known as postpartum haemorrhage.”

Munemo added that the uterus needs adequate time to recover after childbirth.

“The uterus would have been stretched during the previous pregnancy less than two years ago, and now it is stretching again. For it to return to normal tone after delivery becomes difficult, and someone might experience postpartum haemorrhage. We are not saying it will definitely happen, but you are at greater risk of those things happening.”

Closely spaced pregnancies can also negatively affect newborn health. Babies born within short intervals are more likely to be premature, have low birth weight, and experience challenges in early development and immunity. Short birth spacing may also reduce breastfeeding duration for older children, affecting their nutrition and growth.

Data from the latest Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) shows that maternal anaemia is rising in Zimbabwe, increasing from 27 percent in 2015 to 41.8 percent among women of childbearing age between 15 and 49 years, representing a significant increase over the period.

The report further estimates that one in every 125 women is at risk of dying from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications over their lifetime. Leading causes of maternal deaths in Zimbabwe include hypertensive disorders such as eclampsia, severe obstetric haemorrhage, infections including sepsis, and complications from miscarriages or unsafe abortions.

Health experts also warn that anaemia in women is linked to fatigue, reduced productivity, and increased risk of complications during childbirth. When combined with closely spaced pregnancies, the risks to maternal outcomes become even higher.

In Zimbabwe, where maternal and child health challenges remain a concern, experts are calling for greater awareness on birth spacing as a key component of safe motherhood. They say improved access to family planning services and stronger postnatal counselling could significantly reduce preventable complications for mothers and newborns.