Learn moreHaving a baby is a big decision. A baby has a major impact on your life. Whether you have a baby with a partner or on your own, here are some things to think about.
Am I Ready to Have a Baby?
Do my partner and I have a strong, loving, and happy relationship? Do I have a strong and loving support system?
Babies can strain any relationship. Babies need a lot of attention at all hours of the day and night. This can cause stress, even within a strong and stable relationship.
If you have a baby on your own, you need a strong and loving support system—friends and family who can help support you and your baby.
Can I/we provide for a baby?
Babies need a happy, healthy, and safe home. They need healthy food, diapers, toys, and clothes. Parents need to make enough money to afford these items.
Babies take time and energy. Do your lifestyle and other commitments leave you with the time and energy you need for a baby?
Am I/are we ready for the way life changes with a baby?
Life changes with a baby. Parents often have less time for other things—friends, sports, sleep, and homework. Parents have less money to spend on themselves.
Women experience many physical changes during pregnancy—constipation, back pain, and trouble holding pee when they laugh, cough, or sneeze. Some women experience mild or severe depression following the birth.
Both parents feel many mixed emotions—happy, scared, frustrated, excited, and nervous.