5 To-Do's Before You Do... It

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Once you actually do get pregnant, shit is going to get REAL, and fast. Preparing to bring a baby home is basically another full-time job… and you won't want to take on a full-time job when you're 8.5 months pregnant. So, take advantage of your free time (and a pre-preggo glass of wine!) to knock out these things:

1. Decode your health insurance. As you’ve probably picked up on by now, having a baby is expensive, even when you have health insurance. Which is why you should forecast your expected costs fairly early in your pregnancy journey. Take the time to go through your and your partner’s health insurance. If you and your partner have different providers, switch over to whichever one has the strongest prenatal and maternity care package.

2. Plan for maternity/paternity leave. How much time you and your partner (if you have one) get off work and whether you’re paid during that period can significantly impact your household finances in the coming year. Understand your company’s policies, your partner’s company’s policies, and your state’s laws to get an accurate picture of how your maternity leave will affect your bottom line.

3. Draft your pre-baby budget. Once you know what you’ll be spending on out-of-pocket medical costs and understand how your income will be impacted in the coming months, it’s time to prepare a basic shopping list for your new addition. Babies come with plenty of expenses, so set a limit on both necessary and optional buys (diapers are a must; that designer diaper bag, while fabulous…not so much). Consider buying used or crowdsourcing for hand-me-downs from friends and family when you can to keep costs down.

4. Draft your post-delivery budget. Recurring costs such as diapers, food and clothing of all sizes will change your household expenses for years to come. Not to mention, child care, which is the biggest single budget item for the average family with children, costing about $18,000 per year. Build these expenses into your budget now so you aren’t caught off guard later.

5. Choose a pediatrician within your insurance network. Your baby’s first doctor appointment will come within his or her first week of life, so you’ll want to have a physician picked out ahead of time. Get recommendations from friends and family, and call around to clinics in your area and ask to interview a pediatrician before you make your choice. Don’t forget to double-check that he or she is within your insurance network by first asking the provider and then calling your insurance company to verify so you’re not hit with unexpected out-of-network charges.

xo,

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