If both of you desire to share your bed or your bedroom with your baby, you'll need to pinpoint why it's right for you. If one of you is for co-sleeping and the other against it, you'll need to figure out who will give up the fight or his side of the bed before Baby arrives. Is it a given that if you have a boy you'll want to have his foreskin removed? Although this has been a societal norm for years in the United States, the AAP does not feel the medical benefits of circumcision, including slightly lower risks of urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, and foreskin infections, is sufficient evidence that all boys should undergo the surgery.
According to a health care data analysis from SDI Health, 56 percent of baby boys were circumcised in , but only This data does not include outpatient procedures such as circumcisions performed in doctor's offices or at religious ceremonies. Many parents choose circumcision for religious or cultural reasons; others feel it is more hygienic or helps the baby to "look like Daddy.
Others believe the foreskin is needed to protect the tip of the penis and that it increases sexual pleasure, and state that teaching proper hygiene will lower their son's risk of infections despite not being circumcised. If you don't agree on this one, you may find you'll have to fight it out. Sometimes Dad's opinion carries more weight in this case because he's got the goods and therefore may feel more strongly about the matter.
Wonder what all these cord blood bank commercials are all about? They can cause all kinds of emotional responses from hormonal moms-to-be. If you haven't thought about the cord blood issue yet, you and your partner should do your research and decide if you want to pursue it. With private banking, "the cord blood is processed and stored frozen to be only used by the donor or family member at the family's discretion," Dr.
With public banking, "the cord blood is donated by the family to be processed and frozen and will be used by bone marrow transplant physicians to treat other patients throughout the world and is no longer under the discretion or controlled by the family who donated it. Private banking is expensive, and is therefore recommended to families who have other siblings diagnosed with a disease treatable by sibling cord blood transplantation. Otherwise, if you'd like to bank cord blood, the AAP recommends the public donor route. The only downside to donating your baby's cord blood is that sometimes the hospital requires the umbilical cord to be clamped and cut earlier.
Recent research has suggested that waiting longer to cut the cord -- a few minutes or until it stop pulsating -- will allow your baby to receive more of the cord blood and crucial stem cells. If you and your partner grew up in the same faith or even the same Christian denomination, the answer to this question is probably a no-brainer. But some parents of different faiths will need to determine how they're going to raise their children. Ideally, you made this decision before getting married because it can stir up strong debates.
You may decide to attend two types of religious services and let children choose. One of you may have stronger feelings about your faith and decide to teach the child that religion while your spouse steps back. Make sure you're happy with your plan and that you're open to changes should your partner have a, well, change of faith. No matter what religion you choose, you want to provide stability and show your children that you can respect each other's beliefs if they differ.
Since the invention of disposable diapers in the s, a majority of parents in the United States have opted to forego yesteryear's cloth-and-safety-pin approach. Some people argue that the energy and water it takes to launder cloth diapers is equally as harmful to the environment as the energy used to manufacture and break down disposables in landfills. And for some parents, the potential green benefits don't outweigh the convenience of disposables. Keep in mind, though, that cloth diapers can be reused on subsequent children. Have you discussed whether one of you wants or needs to stay home with your child or if you'll be using child care?
This decision is sometimes driven by financial factors and sometimes by each individual's passion for pursuing a career. Staying at home with a child can be just as tough as the corporate grind, even if you love what you're doing. Remember -- there's no shame in deciding either to stay at home or to place a child in day care or with a babysitter. As long as the two of you are in agreement as to what's best for the family, that's all that matters. Speaking of baby duties, how do you plan to feed your child? Do you have an opinion on breastfeeding versus formula? This is often a decision that Mom ultimately makes, but Dad may have strong feelings about it too.
You may wait until you're expecting to come to a resolution, but learning a little about your options right now may help resolve any differing opinions. The AAP considers breast milk the best nutrition a child can receive in the first year of life. Beyond medical reasons, the choice between breastfeeding and formula feeding may depend on whether you're willing to commit the time and energy it takes to breastfeed and whether you'll be able to pump during work if you're not staying home with Baby.
It is very helpful, it made me decide on this issue and yes my husband and me are trying to have a baby. Do go through it http: I can actually relate to this topic because I am already a first time father. My wife gave birth to a healthy baby boy just last January 11, It was the most happiest day of my life.. My profile pic here in hubpages is my baby boy pic Thanks for reading and commenting!
What a great hub. This is a very comprehensive list of questions to really think about, I'll have to revisit this when my husband and I have the talk about having kids. Pinkchic18, then I guess you're in the right state of mind for having a baby! Kathryn L Hill, thanks for sharing those stories. It's a good idea to examine why you at any age may want to have children; it's a life changing experience! I haven't thought about publishing it in a magazine. Maybe that's something to consider in the future. Thanks for the suggestion!
I wish every female, whether teen, young adult or adult, could read it. It is an article which expands the awareness of women and encourages them to be proactive and have control over their own lives. Pregnancy should be a well thought out choice. I actually know a 32 yr. Luckily Mom and Dad preferred that option over abortion.
I know another woman who had three kids late in life and is now in her mid 50's. She is having a hard time because her husband of the same age has just gotten laid off. They might have to move in to her brothers house back east. She never has enough time for her kids, as her top priority seems to be her career. She has a Masters degree But she can't devote enough time to her career either, because she has three young children! She had children for sentimental reasons Can you submit it for publishing in magazines?
Kathryn L Hill, I'm glad you think it's great work! Thanks for reading and commenting. Ciel Clark, I'm glad I'm not the only one who tells others to wait until they are ready and able to have kids. My kids too were the best things that have happened to me, but I'm glad I had a few years to finish school, start a career, and do some other things that I wouldn't have been able to do as easily with kids.
I tell my younger cousins and friends to wait as long as possible. I have two children and they are seriously the best events of my life. Still, I am glad I finished college and started working before they arrived And did a lot of traveling! Francis, thank you for reading my article. I hope I was able to answer some of your questions about having kids. You are young, there's no doubt, but I'm sure with support from family, friends and the community you will get through it all.
I'm not going to lie to you; having a baby and experiencing pregnancy can be daunting tasks. Let's start with a thought: If you are going to opt for an adoption, now would be the time to start gathering some material about adoption processes and contacting an agency for more information. If you are going to keep the baby, you have some other considerations to think about: Since you are nearly 17, I'm going to guess you are either a sophomore or junior in high school with only one or two years to go. Being that the baby isn't due until the fall, it seems like you will be able to finish this year.
Next year, you can go to school until the baby is born and then finish the year or semester with homeschooling, tutoring or cyberschool.
- SARA and the Destiny of the Stars - 3 (Sara the Psychic Sleuth Series);
- Is now the right time?!
- OUTRUNNER ODYSSEY BOOK TWO: More Stories from the Voyage of the Oasis ValiMirum.
- Are You Ready for a Baby? | Fit Pregnancy and Baby.
- Longhorn Country.
- Supply Chain Information Technology?
- Volume I. The Extraterrestrials’ Doctrine and Secret Teaching of their remnants on Earth (Ancient and Extraterrestrial Gods Book 1).
I really encourage you to graduate from high school as it will help you in later years to secure a job to provide for the baby. For now, make sure you attend all of your pre-natal doctor appointments so that you can be sure you and the baby are healthy throughout the pregnancy. See if there are any pre-natal classes or parenting classes offered in your area. Talk to family, friends or even your guidance counselor at school about any misgivings you might have about the pregnancy. Read some pregnancy books to help you understand what is happening in your body.
I wish you all the best! If it's any help to you, my mom was young when she had me, and we both turned out pretty well. Katrina de jesus, I wish you all the luck with your daughter and any future children. Thanks for stopping by and reading my hub! I love your hub! I'm from the philippines, and I've learned so much about being a parent since I had my daughter and I'm proud to say I'm ready for my next. I think a lot of people like the idea of having kids, but aren't financially or mentally prepared to have them. They don't really think of the long hours they have to put in to care for their baby and how much time they have to take out of their social or work life.
Thanks Brett, for sharing it! I hope I can reach as many people as I can who are considering having a baby. It's a serious decision to make! Extremely informative, I've shared with my followers, hopefully any hubbers considering this will read your hub first. Kelleyward, isn't it amazing that despite planning for babies you can still be surprised by how different babies can be? My children too have two different personalities and needs. They are a lot of work, but it's a great kind of work!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! This was a great read. All my boys were planned and we still were caught off guard at the differences in their personalities and needs. My third one is quite a spirited child. They are all a blessing but also a lot of work. Isn't that the beauty of it? Should be required reading for anyone thinking about having a child.
RealHousewife, thank you so much for your comment! I appreciate that you promote others to ask themselves this question. I would hope that by asking themselves some simple questions, many people would stop and think before making some serious, life changing decisions. I have three and am not looking to have more thank you! But I m very interested in your article because I promote people asking themselves this question and thinking very hard about EVERY point you raise.
I often wonder if we have so many issues with abuses in our country because no one stopped to ask themselves these things and thinking very carefully! I think of it as putting my personal needs on hold The same thing happened to me when I was pregnant with my daughter, but like you said, you love all of your children just as much as the first!
I'm glad you liked the article. Great hub which everyone should read.
Am I Ready to Have a Baby? Am I Ready to Get Pregnant? Am I Ready for Kids?
I am 46 and past child bearing years. I do remember though that after I had my first child, I worried if I could love another baby as much as I did my first daughter. Sounds silly now, but I couldn't imagine loving another baby as much. I needn't have worried because when my second daughter came along, I loved her just as much. Anamika S, I agree with your comment.
Unless you're financially, physically, mentally and emotionally stable, it's best not to allow those 'accidents' to happen. I was an 'accidental' baby to young parents, and it took a lot of hard work and many changes in their young lives to learn how to care for a baby. It's better to be 'safe' than sorry later on. Good thing I was an excellent baby! I am of the opinion that the Baby should be a planned one and not an accident. If you are not mentally and financially prepared to have a kid and take up all the responsibilities of its upbringing then it is better not to have a kid at all.
I really appreciate your comment. What a wonderful resource you have written. There are many elements involved in parenting. Thank you for sharing this wonderful and well organized information.
10 Parenting Debates to Hash Out Before Baby
Your photos are magnificent and a great touch too. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. HubPages and Hubbers authors may earn revenue on this page based on affiliate relationships and advertisements with partners including Amazon, Google, and others. To provide a better website experience, wehavekids. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so. For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: Am I Ready to Have a Baby?
Ready for a baby? Am I Ready to Get Pregnant? Am I Ready for Kids? Kids Will Be Kids. Are You Financially Ready for a Baby? The Very Basics of Trying to Conceive If you are ready to have a baby, there are a few things you must understand. Are You Ready to Have a Baby? After reading this hub and asking yourself these questions, are you ready to have a baby? I am so ready to have a baby! Yes, but I might wait a while so I can be stable financially. Yes, but I need to get healthy before trying. I'm thinking about it, but I'm still not sure. Having kids is not for me at this time.
Are You Ready to Be a Parent? Questions must be on-topic, written with proper grammar usage, and understandable to a wide audience. He asked me if I'm ready. Does that mean he's ready? The only way to know is to ask him. It might be time to have a conversation about it. I have not got my period for 2 months i only want to know what does tht mean. What an excellent hub for the Mothers to be! Thank you for sharing this very helpful and informative hub! Thanks so much for reading! DMVmimay, I'm glad you liked it! Glad you liked it, Nare Anthony! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Thanks again so much for reading and commenting! LOL I really love your practical advice! Let's get this hub circulating!! A really well written and interesting article. Voted up and truly awesome. This website uses cookies As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. This is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
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10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Having A Baby
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