8 things absolutely everyone should ask their partner before having a baby.

Deciding to have a baby with your partner is easily one of the biggest steps you can take in a relationship. 

Like all big decisions in relationships, there are some serious questions that all couples should ask themselves and each other before deciding to have a baby. 

From how to prepare to conceive to considerations around parental leave, here are eight things absolutely everyone should ask their partner before having a baby. 

Do we have enough space to accommodate a child?

Before trying to conceive, you and your partner should consider the practicalities of having a baby.

Is there currently enough space at home to accommodate a child? Are there sufficient childcare facilities and schools nearby? If we intend to use extended family for help with childcare in the future, do they live nearby, or should we move closer to them?

It’s also a good time to chat about practicalities like your car/s. For instance, does your current vehicle have enough space to accommodate a rear-facing car seat and a pram? Will you need one or two car seats once the baby comes?

How will we prepare ourselves to start trying for a baby?

When you first decide you'd like to start trying for a baby, it’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare professional about any lifestyle changes that will need to be made before trying to conceive.

It’s also a good idea for your partner to talk with their healthcare professional to get advice on what they can do to help you with preparing for pregnancy.

Your healthcare professional can advise you on any current medications you may be taking, the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle and regular exercise while trying to conceive, and any relevant tests that may be required.

At least one month before you start trying for a baby, you can consider taking a prenatal supplement, like Elevit Pre-conception & Pregnancy multivitamin, to support your pre-pregnancy health. It contains 19 essential nutrients, including folic acid, iron and iodine to support your increased nutritional requirements during pregnancy.

It’s important to also consider your partner when it comes to pre-pregnancy supplements, as male fertility can start to decline from age 40, resulting in decreased sperm quality. Lifestyle factors such as drinking, smoking, and diet can also impact sperm quality.

Menevit Pre-conception Sperm Health is a supplement formulated for supporting sperm health, sperm mobility, and sperm production, which may improve a couple’s chances of conceiving.

Menevit contains a unique combination of antioxidants, including vitamin C, folic acid and selenium. Vitamin C helps support healthy sperm by protecting sperm DNA from free radical damage, where the folate levels in semen are associated with sperm health and stability. Selenium is also an essential mineral with antioxidant properties, to help protect sperm from damage during the sperm lifecycle as well as supporting sperm motility.

Menevit is designed to be taken 3 months prior to planned conception, this is in line with a sperm cycle which is approximately 72 days. 

How do you want to be supported in labour and birth?

Unfortunately, birth doesn’t always go how we may have hoped for or planned.

But while labour and birth can be unpredictable, being aware of your preferences can help you to have a positive birth experience.

Have a conversation with your partner about your preferences for labour, birth, and the first few hours after birth.

Once you’ve had a discussion about your preferences, you may opt to create a birth plan that you can share with your care provider in late pregnancy.

What will the fourth trimester look like?

When we think about birth preparation, we often forget to plan for those first few precious weeks after your baby is born.

Postpartum can be a challenging time, so it’s important to ensure you’re on the same page as your partner.

For example, set some boundaries with your partner about visitors and support in those first few weeks. Do you want family and friends to visit you at home once the baby arrives, or would you rather wait a few weeks? If you do have visitors, can they help out with walking the dog or stocking the freezer with easy meals while you settle into parenthood?

You should also chat with your partner about your preferences when it comes to social media. Will you share photos of your baby online? If so, how much of your baby’s life will you share on social media? 

How will feeding be distributed?

There are lots of things to consider when it comes to feeding as well.

If you plan to breastfeed, chat to your partner about how they can be involved and support you with feeds and have a plan in place just in case any issues arise.

If you plan to formula feed, chat to your partner about how the feeds will be distributed between you, especially when it comes to night feeds.

How much parental leave will we take?

Before trying for a baby, you and your partner should consider the parental leave options available to you.

Look into your workplace’s parental leave scheme and check if you’re eligible for government-funded parental leave.

Have a chat about who will take the bulk of the parental leave, and put a plan in place for how you’ll tackle budgeting and finances during that time.

How will we care for our child after parental leave ends?

It’s crucial to have a conversation with your partner upfront about how you’ll both care for your child going forward once parental leave ends.

Firstly, if paid childcare will be part of the equation, start looking into how much it costs and whether you will qualify for any government subsidies based on your combined income. 

It’s also a good idea to research childcare centres in your local area. Where are they located? What are their operating hours? How much does the centre cost per day? 

Secondly, if you intend to get assistance from extended family to care for your child after parental leave ends, have a conversation with them upfront. Are they open to the idea? When are they available? 

Thirdly, you could also discuss your plans for work going forward. Will one parent move to part-time work or a more flexible position? If this is something you can afford to do as a couple, which parent will it be? Or will you alternate this over the years? 

Either way, it’s important to consider how a shift to part-time work will impact your family’s combined income as well as the impact on the part-time working parent’s super and career progression.

How will we keep our relationship strong?

As you embark on the parenting journey together, it can be easy to let your relationship fall to the wayside.

So, before you start trying to conceive, have a chat with your partner about how you’ll keep the spark strong once you have a new addition to the family.

You might also make a commitment to each other to stay open about how you’re feeling once your baby arrives.

Being transparent and honest with each other about how you’re feeling is integral to your relationship and keeping this top of mind from the very beginning – before you even fall pregnant – will help you remain a united front.

Learn more about Menevit to support sperm motility, sperm production and support male reproductive health and testosterone levels.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

Feature Image: Getty.