First time mums
Becoming a mum for the first time is a magical experience. It is also a life-changing one, so you should make sure that you’re ready for your life to change! Now is a good time to check that you’re absolutely sure you’re ready for a baby and to settle any relationship problems you might have with your partner.
You should also make sure you have no outstanding ambitions that couldn’t reasonably be undertaken with a little one in tow. Giving up your job to go travelling around the world is an easy thing to do without ties, but once you have a baby, any wild plans may have to be put on hold until your little one has grown up and left home!
Here are some other things to consider:
• You and your partner should both go and see a GP for a check-up to ensure you are in the best health possible to conceive a baby. (See improving your fertility)
• Take the time to speak to your partner about their views on parenting. Will your baby be brought up in a certain religion for example? Do you have very different views on discipline?
• Have you thought about your childcare options? What is going to be possible/affordable? Will you/your partner give up work to look after your child?
• If you are currently working, check your maternity and paternity leave entitlements. If you don’t mind giving the game away, chat to colleagues at work who are mums and dads and find out their thoughts.
• How will you manage the extra cost that comes with your bundle of joy? Think about your budget and if needs be, what extravagancies you can cut back on.
• Spend some time with friends who already have a baby and have a good look at their life. Also, offer to baby-sit any little ones you know to get some practice in and see how much work will be involved in caring for a baby of your own.
Time for another?
If you already have children, then you’ll have doubtless already gone through and know the answers to many if not all of the things listed above. There may, however, be a few things you might want to think about before you start trying again.
• Does your partner agree that it’s time to have a new baby? Will a new baby have a positive effect on your children?
• How old is your youngest child? Trying for another baby just after you’ve had one can cause undue stress to your body and your relationship. There is little evidence to suggest the closer siblings are born together, the happier they are.
• Are you ready to change your routine? Maybe you’ve reached the point where you and your partner have time for each other again as your little one settles into sleeping through the night and eating solid food. Do you have the energy to start over?
• If you’re back at work are you ready to put your career on hold while you have another baby? Can you afford to stay at home or pay for childcare if you want to go back to work after the birth?
• How is your financial situation? Remember babies are expensive and you’ll need a little extra in your monthly budget to make room for another one.
Trying for a baby can be a special experience shared by both you and your partner as long as you are realistic about what you’re getting into and genuinely want a new baby in your life. Good luck!
