Starting a Family

Starting a family can be one of the most exciting and meaningful things you do. It can also be overwhelming and stressful. Here are some checklists to help sort out important first-time parent issues.

You're about to welcome a new person into your life, and you'll get to experience a new kind of love: parental love. Many people find their relationship with their child, or children, to be one of the most rewarding in their lives.

At the same time, having a baby (or adopting a child) can be stressful. If it hasn't done so already, your life will soon change, dramatically and forever. First, you must negotiate a pregnancy and birth (or an adoption), and then you must deal with the reality of a baby, a beautiful creature who will undoubtedly need nearly constant attention for months and even years on end.

And then there's money. And work. And childcare. And health insurance. And guardianship. And wills. And balancing things with your spouse or partner. The financial and legal implications of child-rearing can be overwhelming, especially after your child has arrived. But it isn't as scary as you might think. By taking some time now to become informed, you can save yourself worry and trouble later—and begin to put all of the necessary plans in place.

The checklists on the following pages are a great place to start.

A note for same-sex couples: All of the following applies to you, and you have some special considerations to make, especially with regard to legal guardianship and finances around raising your child.

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