Marriage does not necessarily have to start with children immediately.
Before having kids, you need to get to understand one another first and be responsible for each other. If you have this all figured out from the beginning of your marriage, great.
But if you’re one of the couples that want to wait a while before having babies, here’s what you should do with that time:
1. Discuss your belief system
It amazes me how many couples plan to have children together but never talk about details before getting pregnant. Thinks like religion, immunization, public or alternative schooling, working versus staying at home, discipline or video games. This stuff matters. Sort it out now or it’ll become a BIG problem with precious little lives involved.
2. Take pre-baby pics
You’ll want a reminder of who you two are, as a couple, before getting pregnant. You are each other’s rock – and you may need a visual reminder of that when you have an infant screaming in your ear at 3am. Plus, post-baby pics with bag-ridden eyes and messy hair just don’t have the same appeal.
3. Go on a WILD vacation
Hop on some motorcycles, slide down a zipline and trek your way through hostels in Europe before getting pregnant. You may be able to squeeze in some cabin or beach time down the line, but you won’t have this kind of freedom for awhile.
4. Save money
Kids are expensive. And if you still don’t have your living situation ironed out, get that in order before getting pregnant. You may be able to squeeze that baby into the basement with you at your parents’ house, but it sure as heck won’t be comfortable. Especially once the kid starts walking.
5. Get genetic testing
80% of babies born with a serious genetic disease have no family history of that disease. When both parents are carriers for the same condition, each of their children faces a 25% risk for having it.
