Preparing for Baby

Aside from wondering which booties to buy and attending Lamaze classes and decorating your baby's nursery, first time parents especially are encouraged to discuss, plan and decide on some important matters, such as the following:

1) baby's nourishment
Will you breastfeed or not, and why? Which food will be allowed and which eating habits are acceptable once baby can already take solids? what's your your stand on health and diet issues? What are your own eating habits and what changes are you willing/going to make?

2) parenting
Will you be all for self-soothing or attachment parenting? How will you handle meddling in-laws? What are your backgrounds that may affect your parenting? Which are smallies and which are biggies, in terms of putting your foot down?

3) discipline
How do you define it? When do you think you should start? What values do you want to impart?

4) vaccinations
Will you have it all, or just select? Why?

5) communication
Will you teach sign language? Will you speak to your child in English or teach him your local dialect? How do you expect others to communicate with him? What are some rules in communication that you and your partner already observe?

6) money
What are essential baby expenses? How would this affect the general household expenses? What do you do with cash gifts for baby? How soon will you save for his education?

7) health care
Now that there is a child to be responsible for, how healthy are you guys? And how can you provide care during emergencies?

8) roles and delegation of tasks
What is expected of whom and when.


You don't exactly NEED to come up with a strict plan asap but having talks about these important things will help you and your partner iron out your own upbringing issues and concerns, and prepare you to arm yourselves for whatever decision you come up with. It may even help you get the support you would need or start making the changes to complement your plans.

These things could be point of contentions and people around you will always have unsolicited advice that may undermine you or make you feel inadequate as you're learning the ropes of parenting.

Remember, you are not just giving birth to babies.... you are also becoming parents. The transformations and changes are beyond physical. You will really have to evolve and be more aware and willful. See, no matter how difficult the pregnancy was, raising kids and keeping the marriage thriving is harder still.