Are you married for a while now?? More than 2 to 3 years? Not had a baby?
‘It is high time to have a baby!!’ – Is this what you hear all the time?

Not to worry!!
It is perfectly OK to take your time to plan a baby.
Preconceptional planning is as vital as preparing the fields to sow seeds.

Planning a baby begins with the right chemistry between the partners. Opinions of both matter. Understanding each other’s goals and aspirations, along with the desire to have or not to have a baby is a must.

Both the partners should be ready to take the plunge, and be prepared to dive deep into parenthood. Parenting isn’t easy – it involves commitment in all aspects of life – physical, emotional and of course financial.

As much happiness and joy a child brings to the family, it also brings an equal amount of responsibility which requires you to make tough choices and numerous compromises. But in the end it all makes sense if the decision of having an addition to the family was made by choice and not by compulsion.

SIX things you MUST consider before planning a baby –

1. Ensure the compatibility between you both is good enough and the love bond is strong. After marriage, you need to first settle down with your partner, baby comes later.
2. Make sure your partner is equally invested in the idea of having a baby. Getting pregnant is a joint effort and so is parenting.
3. Check your stress levels. It isn’t a good idea to get pregnant when you are already too stressed out due to other reasons.
4. Ensure financial readiness. Raising kids isn’t cheap, but it surely isn’t the deciding factor either. Create a budget, start saving, and you will be able to sail through.
5. Sharing responsibilities is a must. Talk about it with your partner before planning pregnancy. Some of the biggest parenting issues include – how you plan to share childcare duties, how you plan to raise your kids and working vs staying at home.
6. Do consult your doctor once you have sorted out the above 5 issues. Health check up before planning a baby is essential as your doctor will help sort out medical issues, if any, and ensure the well being of your Lil one.

But, before you freak out over differing opinions, remember that you can and may change your mind about a lot of these issues as you go along.

Plan when YOU really feel tis time to have a baby, not when your parents, in-laws or friends think you should.

Happy Planning!!

If you found this helpful, please share with couples you know are contemplating pregnancy.