Plan for after baby arrives

I am not talking about your plans how to raise your child, but rather the simple logistics of how things will go. And as with all things related to pregnancy, parenting and babies, it is always good to have a plan and know that things might not follow it. There are many questions that you need to answer, the first of which is – will you return to work, work from home, switch to part time, or stop working and stay home? And this is a question to be answered for both you and your spouse. You have to make the choice that is financially, emotionally and logistically satisfying for your whole family. You must determine if you can survive on one income alone (which can be done with significant budgeting) or will you absolutely need to return to the work force. You need to decide if you are the type of woman that can be a stay-at-home mom and still find fulfillment out of your life. This last one is not a reflection on your mothering. Some women just are not the type to stay home and “play house”. This doesn’t mean that they love their child any more or less, it is just a different life choice.
If you will be returning to work, either full or part-time, you will need to determine what your childcare arrangements will be. You will need to find a provider that can handle a newborn and will provide the sort of care you are wanting. If you are going to have a family member provide day care, you need to be certain that your relationship can handle it. Also if you plan to return to work you need to be sure that your job will still be there. This will greatly depend on the type of work that you do, and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
If you are planning to start working from home, do not make the assumption that you can just keep the child home with you and do “both”. While a newborn sleeps most of the day, an infant needs attention. Likely more than you can spare and still do your job within the set parameters of the position. It will not be professional to have a child wailing in the background while you are on a conference call. If this means that you need to have only occasionally childcare, for specific situation, you still need to figure out what you will do on those days.

Word of the Week

Maternity leave – noun – a leave of absence for an expectant or new mother for the birth and care of the baby. (www.dictionary.com)

Buying guide

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