happiness relationships

How to Plan for Your Second Baby

 

pregnancy, second baby

If you have a little one running around the house do you ever think about the things you would do differently if you had another one?  Well now’s your chance.  If you’re pregnant with your second baby it’s time to take everything you learned from your first pregnancy and apply it to the next nine months.

Here are four things to consider when planning for your second baby:

How is your budget different?

According to Women’s Health Magazine it can cost over $5000 to have a child, that’s a lot of money and if you don’t have insurance then that dough has to come right out of your pocket.. Hopefully you still have baby clothes, accessories like bottles, toys and blankets as well as necessities such as a crib and changing table from your first baby.  This will help you save a ton of money on your second pregnancy.

If having a second child was always in your plans then hopefully you still have your maternity clothes in the closet, or at least in a box in the basement.  The first pregnancy is usually more expensive but if you kept everything you can save thousands of dollars by using the hand me downs and recycling other items.

Will you set up the nursery differently?

The last two baby showers I went to were gender neutral.  My mother completely disagrees with this concept; she feels little boys should be surrounded in blue and baby girls should own everything pink.  I don’t think the trend of gender neutral nurseries, clothes and toys are necessarily because parent’s want to avoid labelling their children.

I honestly believe it’s a budget issue.  If you don’t have to redecorate and buy new clothes in a new color then you’re saving tons of money by reusing what you’ve already got.

Are you thinking about your  health?

If you’re getting ready for baby number two to pop out you’re older than you were the first time you were pregnant.  This is both a gift and a curse.  You probably learned a thing or two about your body during pregnancy and this time around you can make adjustments to make the pregnancy a little bit easier (if that’s even possible), but at the same time this is the second time you’re putting your body through the “trauma” of giving birth.

What to Expect says to take your health seriously during your second pregnancy.  “You’ll want to be as fit as possible before tackling your second pregnancy.” says the popular family website.  They also suggest that women wait a full year after giving birth before starting to conceive a second baby because that’s how long it takes for your body to fully recover.

Will you set up an education fund?

It’s no secret that raising a child is expensive.  College Data says the average annual cost to send a child to an in-state school is just over $23,000.  The cost to send your kids away for college is a lot higher. Given the fact that you probably have 18 years and nine months to save for your child’s education now will be a good time to start.

Bankrate says that there are several ways you can save for your child’s education including opening up a savings account and setting up a  5232 College Plan. Visit your local bank and discuss different options to find a savings plan that works best for you and your family budget.

If you’re planning for baby number two what are you doing differently this time around?

 

Photo from Pixabay

 

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