by Joyce Priddy

Created on: February 14, 2009

Are young couples ever really prepared for the arrival of a new baby? There is a huge span between dreaming of the nuclear family and the actual responsibility of managing one. But is it realistic to think that you can wait to plan your family around your schedule? Until you can afford it financially? Until you are emotionally secure enough in your marriage to welcome a third party?

Theoretically yes, realistically, probably not.

But we were taking precautions!

Sometimes even the most diligent of preventive measures fail and you find yourself looking at a positive pregnancy test. If you haven't planned for this little surprise, the news may not bring tears of joy.
But babies are joy, and if you are having one, planned or not, you better hold onto your hat and get prepared!

What to do first?

Naturally the first step is to visit your doctor. After the doctor confirms your new addition to the family, the next stop will be the finance office. If you are lucky enough to have insurance you will be figuring your co-pay and deductible amounts.

Be prepared to make a healthy payment to your physician for the first several months in order to get all your insurance amounts paid up front. If you are in the unfortunate situation that many are in today and you have no insurance, you will be working out a payment plan that may blow your current budget out of the water.

Either way, the actual price of prenatal care and delivery is staggering. The payoff, however, is priceless.

Middle-aged parenthood vs. newlywed parenthood

The beautiful thing about newlywed parenthood is that it's all new anyway. You can certainly learn how to integrate a baby into your every day life and your financial situation as you learn how to co-exist with each other.
Money may be sparse but you feel as though you have a lifetime to both accrue and repay debt. Most importantly, you are young! A youthful body stands a better chance of an easier, event free pregnancy. And you'll still be young when your baby graduates from high school.

As a more mature parent financial stability is usually less of an issue. Since you've been waiting all this time and planning for the future, it is much more likely that you will have funds stashed away just waiting to pay for medical bills and college. The downside may be that an older body may not withstand a pregnancy with the same ease as that of a young body. You and your spouse may be a little more set in your ways and find the integration of a new family member a little more challenging.

Young or not so young, your baby is good news!

No matter whether you have planned for a long time or are surprised by the news of your pregnancy, your family is growing. The fun has begun! Of course, along with the fun comes the responsibility of raising a baby and providing financially for the newest member.

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