So you’ve made the decision that you want to have a baby. It’s a big decision, and not one to be taken lightly. Maybe you are still on the fence, and are reading this to see what I think should be done before your pregnancy. Honestly, I’m not going to give you a grocery list of things that you should do. Lose weight, eat right, give up smoking, quit the caffeine, etc. those are all things that you probably already know. And if you don’t already know that, you will with your first internet search.

All of those things are great, and some extremely important. Please don’t misunderstand me, but I think the most important thing you can do to prepare for parenthood is acknowledge your willingness to love. If you wait until you have enough money, chances are you’ll never get there. Having money is of course great when raising a child, but it is far from necessary.

Once you are mentally ready to start your family, it’s time to start relaxing. Trust me on this, once you conceive you will worry about one thing another for the rest of your life. Every day you will worry about something.  While you are trying to conceive, do your best just to relax and enjoy the process as best you can. Focus on the love that you plan to share. Then you can work on those other things.

And remember, even if you aren’t the richest, even if you don’t lose all the weight you think you should, your baby will love you anyway.

-Stephanie Wright