When is the Right Time to Have Another Baby

When it comes to making the decision to have another baby, how do couples know when they are ready? Some couples want to wait for the perfect time, some couples want to wait until their older child is at a specific age and other couples wake up one day and realize that they want to add to their family. There is no right or wrong way to decide whether or not right now is the right time to have a baby, but there are things you do need to consider before you get busy – or at least, before you get busy without protection.

Finances

One of the biggest factors every family needs to consider when having baby number two or three or four or baby number whatever is about to turn you into a Duggar is what your financial situation looks like. While it’s different for everyone, you need to know whether or not you can afford to pay for your medical services after insurance coverage, whether you can afford a bigger car or a bigger house or even an extra box of diapers and formula every week. If you can’t, you should wait.

Your Older Child (Children)

You really have to consider how your older child or children will react to a new baby. If you just had baby number one a month ago and you’re already considering number two, you might want to reconsider. Of course, no one can tell you what to do and what you want, but there are several reasons you need to consider the age of your current child or children. For one, doctors do not recommend women become pregnant for at least a year after giving birth for health reasons. Another reason is that you might want to provide your older child with one-on-one parenting for a while before you bring another baby into the picture. You are the only one who knows what kind of timing is right for you, so these are just considerations.

Are You Ready?

It’s always funny to me to hear women talk about having a baby right now because “it’s the right time” rather than because they want one. Some think that they have to have one right now – even though they don’t really want to have another at the moment – because they want their kids a certain age apart or because they have a timeline they want to complete. You have to be ready. Ask yourself if you are.