Am I ready to have a baby? An important question we must ask ourselves as women throughout our lives time and time again. Whether you are thinking about having your first child or already have a few running about your home, it’s important to check in with yourself before making a decision. Giving yourself time to plan for a child allows you to be certain you can give them all the attention, time, and emotional support they deserve and need to grow up in a healthy environment.
Although no one truly feels 100% ready to take on this lifelong responsibility, there are a few signs that now is definitely not the best time to start having a family!
You Travel Often for Work and Pleasure
If you have a demanding career that requires a lot of travel each month, or you’re known for planning last-minute trips to fabulous faraway places, providing stability and constant support to your children that they need to thrive might be difficult.
You might think you can just take your kids with you when you travel, but young children, especially babies, need routine and consistency. They struggle with change and new environments, and you would be putting a lot of extra stress and pressure on yourself to make everything work.
Babies are also way more likely to pick up germs and illnesses while traveling, which would turn a lovely trip into an absolute nightmare for everyone involved.
You Aren’t Financially Stable
As of 2022, the average cost of raising a child to age 17 in the United States is $310,605. If you don’t have a reliable career or a partner who can help support your family financially, having a baby right now could put you in a lot of debt. You don’t want to think of your future children in terms of dollar signs, but financial responsibility is a factor that cannot be ignored. Everyone struggles with finances at some point in life, but if you had the time to wait and get your accounts in order before having a child, that would be a smart decision for yourself and your future children’s lives. You want to give them everything they need without struggling financially if you can help it.
Your Relationship is Rocky
Many people think that having a baby with their partner will magically fix their relationship issues. Some women even believe that it will make their partner stick around longer, that they will have to change and be better now that a child is on the way, but that is often not the case. A newborn can actually add a lot of extra stress to a relationship with new responsibilities and a major lack of sleep. Couples can become irritable and emotional with one another, so you want to ensure you have someone fully committed to you and your child even through the hard times. Before having a child with someone, you should ensure your relationship is healthy and stable. You want your child to grow up in a loving and kind environment, not one full of bickering, arguments, and resentment.
Your Family is Pressuring You
How many times have you heard, when are you giving us grandchildren? You’re getting older; you should start having kids soon! These personal questions and ingrained beliefs often dropped on women throughout a good portion of their lives have negative effects. Some people’s families put a lot of pressure on them to have kids as soon as they get married for their own selfish reasons. Having a baby should be your decision; it should happen when you feel ready and excited about it.
There is a lot to evaluate before deciding whether to bring a baby into this world or if you even want to. Don’t be influenced by the opinions or beliefs of others because this is your body and your life going through massive change, not anyone else’s.
If you find that after evaluating your financial situation, your relationship with your partner, your mental state, and your environmental circumstances that a baby is just not the right decision for you at this time, South Avenue Women’s Services is here to support you through your abortion process. We know abortion isn’t an easy choice, but sometimes it’s the right choice.
We will help you prepare for your abortion procedure and give you all the information and guidance necessary to make your decision. Our medical professionals are dedicated to ensuring you remain healthy, informed, comforted, and reassured that your care will be confidential during the abortion process.
Contact us at (585)271-3850 for a confidential consultation. Remember that this is your decision, and you are not alone!