Adding a new family member to your relationship via having a baby requires some advance planning and thought. It’s one thing for two adults working their jobs to manage to pay their bills, clothe themselves, an get enough to eat, all while maintaining a roof over their heads. It’s another thing entirely to add another person to the mix, who requires 100% support with zero financial input. And that’s exactly what you get when you and your partner decide to have a baby. You get a ton of additional financial responsibility, ranging from medical care and hospital expenses, to increased food, toy, and diaper costs.

If you’ve ever thought having a baby was a simple matter, that everyone else does it and therefore it must be pretty easy, then take a few moments to consider. Skipping this important step could lead to your own bankruptcy if you fail to consider the variables and whether you and your partner can afford them. For example, just imagine if you lived in Michigan and having to filing bankruptcy in Michigan. Back to that thinking about whether you can afford to have, and properly raise, a child.

It seems that after a baby is born, it just needs some diapers and baby food, right? Sure, any baby needs plenty of both of those, but there’s so much more that it’s important not to forget it all. Have you considered where the baby will sleep? A crib is necessary to keep them safe. A multitude of colorful toys are important – it is during the developmental years that babies learn shapes, colors, and the basis of much gravity based movement. Any deprivation in stimuli could easily lead to a kid becoming developmentally held back, a situation which will cause more financial issues in the future. Regular check-ups at the doctor are imperative to assure that your child is healthy, and those visits aren’t free! Make sure you can afford to have a baby before having one.