Making preparations
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Emotionally preparing to have a baby will mean different things to different people. For some, it may simply mean 'wanting to have a baby' and feeling 'ready'. For others, it may be the next natural step after waiting for certain financial, travel and career needs to be fulfilled. Perhaps you feel you have been prepared for years, or maybe you find yourself suddenly wanting a child, after never believing you would ever have one! A few people don't feel emotionally 'ready' until after they conceive, or even after their baby is born, and the reality for some is that it takes them several weeks after the birth to fall in love with this new little person.
The considerations that drive the decision to have a baby today are very different from those our parents (and grandparents) had, when they conceived their own children. Modern contraception has now made it possible for many people to make conscious choices about whether or not to have children. (However, up to 50% of potential parents will not be given this luxury at all, because their pregnancy was unplanned!) When couples decide to have a baby, it is more likely that they will plan when this will happen (to fit in with their lifestyles, career and finances), how far apart in age their children will be (if they have more than one) and for some, even the
sex of their child.
Life in the new millennium is much faster and the advancements in information technology (particularly over the past twenty years) have revolutionalised the way many of us live, work, learn and relax. With our changing society, each person's individual expectations about his or her career, travel and financial independence have also changed dramatically.
Women (and men) are increasingly choosing to delay their parenting until a much later age than previous generations.