What are the risks of spacing pregnancies far apart?

A long time between pregnancies may raise certain health risks. For example, there may be a higher risk of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a serious condition that can cause health concerns for the pregnant person and the baby. There also may be a higher risk of having very hard labor, also called labor dystocia.

It's not clear why a long time between pregnancies poses health risks. It's possible that pregnancy has a lasting positive effect on the uterus's ability to support the growth of a fetus, but over time those positive effects fade away.