I had never heard of a wipe warmer before I got one as a present at a shower for my first baby.  I tried to be polite, but what I was thinking was, “Now we have to warm up our baby wipes?  Come on!”  That was right up there with waiting lists for elite pre-schools [...]

I’m writing this post with the assumption that you are planning this pregnancy with a committed partner.  I know that’s not always the case; a mature single woman can plan a pregnancy all on her own, and most of what I’ve wrtten so far would apply to this woman, too.  But a pregnancy and a [...]

So…you’re doing your Kegels and saving your pennies to get ready for the pregnancy you’re planning.  Good.  Let’s look now at the least predictable, least tangible part of preparing your life for an impending pregnancy, your emotional life.  Im going to divide this into two parts–your personal emotions and your couple life.  This post will [...]

In some ways, you’ll never be financially ready to have children.  There are just too many expenses you can’t predict.  For example, how many birthday presents will you have to buy for kids in your baby’s day care?  How much does it cost to have a birthday party for a 1-year-old, 2-year-old, etc?  You don’t [...]

Some people actually plan their pregnancies–unlike most people in my family.  And really, that’s the best way to go, to choose the next major turn your life will take, rather than have it thrust upon you because you had too many margaritas on New Year’s Eve.  There are a lot of things to think about [...]