Deciding whether you are ready to welcome a new baby into your home and into your family is a big decision. It isn't one any of us take lightly and there are lots of questions and decisions to make before you make the big decision.
A new baby can affect your relationship, lifestyle, finances and career just to name a few but of course can always bring love, joy and happiness to a relationship and home too! If you are thinking the time might be right for you to start thinking about trying for a baby, here are some things to consider asking yourself (and your partner) and taking on board before you become a parent...
Income Protection
We all know how important a steady and reliable income is regardless of whether you have children or not. However when you have another little person to feed and care for, a steady income becomes extremely important. But have you ever considered what might happen if became sick or injured and were unable to work? Without any kind of protection you could be without a wage or income at all!
That's why it is so important to consider income protection! Protection cover from companies such as LifeSearch offer affordable plans which cover you for anywhere between 50% - 70% of your monthly salary in tax free monthly instalments. It means you can focus on getting better and you wont have to stress about the bills being paid. Giving you a little bit of extra piece of mind, especially when you have a family to worry about.
Is Your Home Big Enough?
A baby might be small but never underestimate the amount of space those little bundles of joy can take up! Once you start buying things you will soon realise that these tiny babies take over the home with everything they or you need!
Before you have a baby it's wise to think about where you are living. Is it a place you can or want to bring a child up? Is there any outdoor space to enjoy? Is there enough bedrooms? and most importantly is it practical? If you live in an area that is quite secluded and you don't drive how will you and baby get around and if you live in a flat with lots of stairs how will you navigate a pushchair?
Whilst you can of course move once baby is here it's always nice to be able to set up home before baby arrives. To know that you are right where you want to be with enough space for you and baby eliminates any extra stress that might be caused if you have to consider moving once baby is here.
A Saving Account or Trust Fund
Once you have fallen pregnant, announced your pregnancy and turn your mind to buying baby clothes and nursery furniture don't forget to consider a saving account or trust fund for your new bundle of joy.
You can either choose to open the account in your name with funds inside earmarked for your child or you can open up the account in your newborn babies name once they arrive. There are lots of account types to choose from so shopping around and doing your homework whilst pregnant is a good idea. It means you will have plenty of time to find the best account with the best rates and for you to decide how much per month/year you want to set up to pay into it.
It doesn't need to be a large amount and try to be reasonable when deciding what you want to pay into the account. If you set up the account when baby is young, they will have a lovely little savings pot for when they turn 18 (a great 18th birthday gift maybe?). It could go towards a car/lessons, education, a deposit for a home or even starting their own business.
Are You Both on the Same Page?
Having a baby changes the whole dynamic of a relationship and there isn't much time for discussing how things are going to work once baby arrives. Discussing issues such as who will stay home, will you both continue working or will one of you stay home, if so... who?. How will you split paternity/maternity leave and most importantly how do you want your child to be raised. Having these conversations before you bring a baby into the world means no shocking or upsetting surprises once baby is here.
It is so important to be totally honest (on both sides) when you have this conversation because what might not seem important right now, could be make or break later down the line!
Giving Up Bad Habits & Start New Healthy Ones
Pregnancy can take its toll on even the healthiest of bodies and so when you are thinking about trying for a baby, giving up bad habits can really help both you and baby. Habits such as smoking and heavily drinking are not only unhealthy for you in general but they can actually be harmful to baby when you do become pregnant. Giving these up slowly before you fall pregnant will make it much easier to give up rather than facing the possibility of having to give up cold turkey.
On the discussion of bad habits, when you give up bad habits it opens the door to being able to introduce some new healthier habits into your life. Taking daily folic acid is a great new habit to start when you decide to start trying for a baby (always check with a doctor or pharmacist for the amount you should be taking).
Do you have any advice to share too? I would love to hear it in the comments below.
xXx
**This is a collaborative post**
There are some great tips! I'm not a parent, but I'd definitely agree you and your partner need to be on the same page.
ReplyDeleteGreat points and everything that needs to be considered, I would also say don't over think and keep waiting for the right time as it never comes x
ReplyDeleteThese are all such great tips - there is so much you can do to prepare for becoming a parent but at the same time nothing quite compares you for the reality of it either.
ReplyDeleteThese are really good tips which we never thought of when we became parents, it is good to be prepared for the future especially if you are a young parent
ReplyDeleteIm not a parent but i definitely agagree eee with you on giving up bad habits. I have many of them
ReplyDeleteI'm already a parent and don't actually have income protection, oops! Both kids have a savings account, we want to add more to them though.
ReplyDeleteSome excellent tips here, it can be scray when planning to have children with lots of things to consider, money is often high on the priority and your health can sometimes slip, which shouldnt be.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, there is lots to think about but most of us dive in head first and think about it later! ooops. Although I wouldn't have it any other way, love my little family x
ReplyDeleteGreat points to share. I made sure I set my kids up with a savings account as soon as they were born
ReplyDeleteThese are all such great tips. I know I didn’t think like this as much as I should before we had our boys!
ReplyDeleteMany things certainly do go into making a safe home for a child. I don't personally believe that most people have a "perfect" time for anything, particularly having a child, but some of the points mentioned are good to keep in mind beforehand.
ReplyDeleteWe did so much planning before we started our family, we wanted to be financially secure more than anything.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I both have children from previous relationships, however we really want a child together. We spent a long time planning and talking before we began trying x
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