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The honeymoon has long been over and you find yourself looking enviously at your friends who have already started their families. Your husband wants to have children "eventually", but wants to be more secure in his career before taking that step. After babysitting your best friend's month old Gerber baby, you feel the pounding of your internal "baby clock" ticking away like a sledgehammer in your head. Feeling righteous and wanting, that night, you bring up the subject with your husband and ask for a more specific definition of his vague "eventually". His financial concerns seem like an over-reaction to you when balanced against that chubby, big blue eyed, bundle-of-joy you held in your arms most of the afternoon.

But is he really playing it too safe? Are his concerns about the financial costs of having a child accurate in today's world? Here are some facts to consider BEFORE you make the emotional decision to have a baby.

In the year 2006, it was estimated that a child born in that year would cost, birth through age 17, on average, $197,700, according to government data. That figure does not include the soaring cost of college. The magnitude of this figure should speak for itself and encourage couples to take extra time in order to prepare for any additions to their family. Often, it is the marriage that suffers as collateral damage when couples are not financially prepared when they begin to have children.

Here are ten tips to baby-proof your finances and help you take a more realist approach to the costs of having a child:

REVIEW HEALTH INSURANCE: You first to need make sure that your prenatal doctor visits are covered including any possible problems that may occur during pregnancy. If all goes well, then make sure that all delivery costs are covered at the hospital or that you have the cash to pay whatever deductible is your responsibility through your coverage. It may make sense for you to upgrade to better coverage prior to any pregnancy. You should have coverage for routine doctor visits, medicines and serious medical conditions. Look closely at your coverage for "specific conditions" as they relate to babies and children. While you certainly hope that your baby will arrive healthy and stay that way, it always makes sense to "hope for the best, but plan for the worst."

ELIMINATE CREDIT CARD DEBT: Couples should strive to be debt free before taking on the financial responsibility for a child. There are too many unforeseen situations that come up, and if

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