“…Studies have linked the postponement of all higher-order births, including the second birth as a driver of sub-Saharan fertility decline (Lerch, 2017; Moultrie, et al, 2012). Even though sub-optimal inter-birth intervals often have adverse consequences for maternal and child health outcomes (Ball, et al, 2014; Chen, et al, 2014; Mahfouz, et al, 2018; Molitoris, et al, 2019; Stevens, et al, 2018; Zhang, et al, 2017), the risk of second childbirth (and other higher-order births) can be curtailed compared to the risk of first birth. In contemporary South Africa, the transition from first to second birth is a critical segment in fertility change.…”